March 25, 2024
1 min read

Pakistan Gears Up to Repatriate One Million Afghans

No date has yet been announced but the campaign to repatriate hundreds of thousands of ACC holders could begin in early to mid-summer….reports Asian Lite News

 Pakistan has started preparations to launch the second phase of its repatriation drive to send nearly one million Afghans back to their homeland, the media reported.

Instructions had been issued to district administrations and police to expedite the mapping of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, Dawn reported.

No date has yet been announced but the campaign to repatriate hundreds of thousands of ACC holders could begin in early to mid-summer.

According to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, there are 2.18 million documented Afghan refugees in Pakistan. This includes the 1.3 million refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards as per the census carried in 2006-07, as well as an additional 880,000 refugees granted ACCs following a registration drive in 2017.

The return of Taliban to power in August 2021 saw another influx of worried Afghans into Pakistan.

Officials put their numbers anywhere between 6,00,000 and 8,00,000, some with valid travel documents, but an uncertain future.

Pakistan launched the first round of repatriation of what it called “undocumented aliens” in November last year, Dawn reported.

No official data has been released as to how many of the estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghans have left for their country since November 2023, though the figure likely fell hugely short of what is now being considered a grossly exaggerated number, the report said.

According to sources, the total number of undocumented Afghans who have returned to Afghanistan via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in the first round stands at around the half million-mark, Dawn reported.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Mulls Trade Restart with India

Previous Story

North Korea Says Japan’s PM Offered to Meet Kim Soon

Next Story

UK targets Vietnamese with online ads to deter Channel crossings

Latest from -Top News

U.S. Raises Alarm for Americans in Pakistan

Earlier, the US Department of State had issued a travel advisory in March, also urging its citizens to “reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.”…reports Asian Lite

Khawaja Asif: Peace Only If India Backs Down

The Indian strikes and Islamabad’s retaliation has jolted locals who fear that it could potentially lead to a full-scale war between the two countries…reports Asian Lite Ndews Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif

India Rising, Pakistan Crumbling

Pakistan is on the verge of economic collapse and is surviving on IMF loans, with its forex reserves down to $15 billion…reports Asian Lite News While Pakistan has threatened to respond forcefully

Israel backs India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’

The military operation struck camps and logistical hubs linked to terror groups held responsible for orchestrating the Pahalgam attack…reports Asian Lite News Israel has voiced strong support for India’s right to defend
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Tribal clashes: Pak-Afghan Kharlachi border reopens after 9 days

The closure of this key border crossing caused great trouble

Five Pakistani tests positive for Covid-19 on arrival from Saudi

Five Pakistani passengers have tested positive for Covid-19 at Karachis