With fate uncertain, Afghan refugees in Pakistan may get brief reprieve

By Tahir Khan

ISLAMABAD: All key stakeholders have recommended an extension in the stay of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, sources familiar with the matter told HUM News English.

A one-year extension granted last year to nearly 1.4 million registered Afghans is set to expire on June 30, 2025.

The recommendations, agreed upon during a meeting held in Islamabad on June 11 under the chair of Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, will now be forwarded to the federal cabinet for final approval, sources said.

While a three-month extension was unanimously approved during the meeting, some participants proposed a six-month or even one-year extension. A final decision will be made by the cabinet, according to the sources.

Although the extension may be brief, it is expected to offer relief to thousands of Afghan refugees whose status remains uncertain under Pakistan’s current policy on foreigners.

Several participants cited improved ties with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan as a key reason for the proposed extension. These developments include Pakistan’s decision to upgrade diplomatic relations with Afghanistan to the ambassadorial level.

Both countries have already agreed on the appointment of ambassadors in Islamabad and Kabul.

“The cancellation of PoR cards could negatively impact the process of normalising relations,” an official familiar with the discussions told HUM News English on Thursday.

Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Islamabad soon, with the trip likely to be finalised later this month, according to a diplomatic source.

The decision to extend the stay could also be well received in Afghanistan, which has requested Pakistan to ensure the gradual and phased repatriation of Afghan refugees.

An official statement said Minister Muqam presided over a high-level inter-ministerial meeting to discuss various refugee-related matters. Senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and other relevant departments were in attendance.

The meeting was also attended by officials from the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, SAFRON Secretary Zafar Hassan, Additional Secretary Kamran Rehman, Joint Secretary Waseem Agha, and Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Asmatullah Shah.

The official statement did not disclose any specific decisions.

Meanwhile, the repatriation of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders is under way, with hundreds of thousands having returned to Afghanistan since the process began in April.

This repatriation marks the second phase of what Pakistan terms the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP),” first announced in October 2023 by the then caretaker government.

On June 10, Pakistan advised all undocumented Afghans and illegal foreigners to voluntarily leave the country and warned against any attempts to obstruct the repatriation process.

The Ministry of Interior also announced a significant acceleration in efforts to repatriate undocumented foreigners, including ACC holders. According to official figures, 216,103 illegal foreigners have been repatriated since April 1, 2025.

Participants in the June 11 meeting highlighted several reasons for recommending the extension, including the need to allow Afghan businesses time to wind up operations and concerns about the education of Afghan students enrolled in self-financed programmes in Pakistan.

They also noted the vulnerability of certain Afghan groups if deported, the potential humanitarian impact, and pressure on the Afghan government in the event of a sudden cancellation of PoR cards.

There are also thousands of inter-marriage cases, and deportation in such instances could lead to family separations unless a clear policy is introduced, official sources said.

Separately, UNHCR representative in Pakistan Philippa Candler met with Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, in Islamabad to discuss refugee-related issues.

In a post on X, Ambassador Sadiq said they “discussed the key challenges faced by Afghan PoR cardholders in Pakistan and explored potential pathways to resolve them.”