Pressure is mounting on Pakistan as Afghan refugees demand a three-month window to organize their return, avoiding the turmoil of hasty deportations. Local media reports reveal appeals directed at both Pakistani and Afghan leaders for a mediated, humane resolution.
Speaking to Tolo News, refugee Haji Nazar laid bare the struggles: ‘Grant us three months for a phased return. Afghan citizens are enduring severe hardships right now.’ The swift deportation campaign has upended lives, with businesses shuttered and families torn apart.
Allah Mir Miyakhil, a refugee rights campaigner, detailed the crackdown: ‘Agencies are arresting Afghans indiscriminately. People need time to close chapters here—many held valid registration cards that are now useless.’
Experts insist on international involvement for a slow, consensual repatriation to dodge a fresh crisis in Afghanistan. Activist Ali Raza Karimi highlighted deprivations of fundamental rights and the limbo of missing papers.
The Taliban’s intervention this month sharpened the focus. Deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat’s audio message, per Pajhwok Afghan News, slammed the mistreatment and called for UN action to uphold refugee norms, plus aid for those heading back.
Pakistan faces a humanitarian tightrope. Balancing security concerns with compassion could define the fate of hundreds of thousands, urging a rethink on policies that risk amplifying regional instability.