ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has decided to repatriate registered Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi back to Afghanistan.
To facilitate this process, the Prime Minister’s Office has issued an official letter to the Afghan embassy and other diplomatic missions.
In the second phase of the repatriation, Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will also be removed from the twin cities. However, they will not face immediate deportation, as the federal cabinet has allowed PoR cardholders to stay in Pakistan until June 2025.
Official data estimates that around 2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan hold either PoR or Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC).
Additionally, the government has set a March 31, 2025, deadline to relocate Afghan nationals awaiting resettlement in third countries from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with international organizations and foreign embassies to ensure the timely relocation of Afghan refugees. Those unable to secure resettlement in a third country will be repatriated to Afghanistan.
