Afghan Refugees Face New Crackdown in Pakistan: ‘In Pakistan We’re Afghans, in Afghanistan We’re Treated as Pakistanis
The Pakistani government has started sending Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan again. This time, most of the action is happening in Punjab and Islamabad, where police are arresting Afghan citizens who are living without legal documents.
Some Afghan people told BBC that they feel scared all the time. One person said, “We don’t have a home anymore. In Pakistan, we are called Afghans, and in Afghanistan, we are treated like Pakistanis.”
Arrests and Raids
The government is running a big operation against Afghans who don’t have legal papers or only have Afghan Citizen Cards. Since April 1, over 8,115 Afghan refugees have been sent back to Afghanistan through the Torkham border. The operation is still going on.
However, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), no arrests have been made yet. Instead, local police are making a list of Afghan residents in areas like Peshawar, Board, Tajabad, and Tehkal. Police have asked many families to return to Afghanistan on their own.
Life in Punjab
In Punjab, the crackdown is the strongest. Every day, hundreds of Afghan refugees are being arrested and taken to holding centres. After checking their documents, they are sent to the Torkham border to go back to Afghanistan.
One Afghan woman teacher in Peshawar told a doctor that if she’s forced to return, she’ll fall into depression. She is scared and has started taking medicines for mental stress. She said that in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, women are not allowed to work, while in Pakistan she had a job.
In Rawalpindi, another Afghan man said police have told bus stations not to sell tickets to Afghan people. Even those who have Afghan Citizen Cards are afraid.
Past and Present
Afghan refugees started coming to Pakistan many years ago, especially after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Now, the third generation of Afghan refugees is growing up in Pakistan. But many still live in fear that they could be sent back at any time.
Even though no arrests have happened in KP, Afghan people there are still scared. Some have already packed their things, not knowing what will happen next.
Role of KP Government
KP’s Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that the federal government is following a wrong policy and that his government will not force anyone to leave. He said that camps will be made for those who want to go back voluntarily and they will be sent back with respect.
His brother, MPA Faisal Amin Gandapur, said that if the UK and US can give nationality to children born there, then Pakistan should also make a policy to give nationality to Afghan refugees. He said that many Afghans have invested in Pakistan and that sending them back will hurt the economy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
What’s Happening in KP?
Since September 2023, around 488,187 Afghan refugees have already been sent back through the Torkham border.
Some people believe that Afghan refugees might move to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Punjab and Islamabad, but no proof of this has been found yet. Property dealers in Peshawar said they haven’t seen a big increase in Afghan customers looking for homes.
Artists and Women are Most Worried
The refugees who are most afraid are women, students, and musicians. In Peshawar and Quetta, over 500 Afghan artists are living in fear. They came to Pakistan when the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan.A music artist named Rashid Khan said, “If we are sent back, it will be like death for us. In Afghanistan, the Taliban don’t allow music or art.”
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