ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to shut down Afghan refugee camps that have been operating for four decades, ordering the closure of five facilities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as refugees return to Afghanistan.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the land occupied by the camps will be handed over to the provincial government and the respective deputy commissioners.
The five camps slated for closure include three in Haripur, one in Chitral, and one in Upper Dir. Officials said the Panian camp in Haripur alone once sheltered more than 100,000 refugees.
Pakistan began repatriating undocumented Afghan nationals in October 2023, citing rising crime and terrorism. Earlier this week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated that Afghan refugees were linked to terrorism in Balochistan and K-P.
In Quetta, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti met Acting Afghan Consul General Maulvi Muhammad Habib Nasir to discuss the process of return. Bugti assured that the repatriation would be gradual and humane, with special arrangements for women, children, and the elderly, and said the provincial government was working with UNHCR to ensure dignity in the process.
According to UNHCR, most Afghan refugees in Pakistan are currently based in K-P. However, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has voiced opposition to forced repatriations, while his information adviser recently called for the process to be halted immediately.
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