ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is home to approximately 2.9 million Afghan nationals, including both documented and undocumented individuals, according to figures presented by the country’s Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR).
Pakistani media reported that the data was disclosed during a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions on Friday. According to the report, 1.04 million Afghan refugees are registered, while an estimated 700,000 remain undocumented.
During the session, Pakistan’s chief commissioner for refugees outlined the humanitarian assistance provided to Afghan migrants, including shelter, food, water, healthcare, and education. However, the report noted that development projects under these programs were halted in 2024 due to budget constraints.
The update comes as Pakistan intensifies its crackdown on Afghan migrants. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently directed authorities to expel all holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) immediately. He also instructed officials to begin preparations for the deportation of Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders in a second phase of expulsions.
Additionally, Afghan nationals seeking resettlement in third countries have been given until March 31 to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The government’s policy has drawn sharp criticism from Human Rights Watch and other rights advocates, who have called the move unfair and in violation of international norms.
“This decision puts thousands of journalists, civil society activists, and former security personnel at grave risk,” said Farshteh Abbasi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Pakistan must uphold international laws in its treatment of Afghan refugees.”
In recent days, Pakistani police have resumed door-to-door searches and arrests of Afghan migrants in parts of Islamabad. The Pakistani government has ramped up deportations and also shortened the visa extension period for Afghan nationals to just one month.
Analysts suggest that the crackdown is linked to ongoing tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban government in Kabul, particularly over the presence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harboring TTP militants, a charge the Afghan authorities deny.
