1.3 million Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan, NA told

Responding to a question raised by MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan during the National Assembly session, Malik stated that around 3 million Afghan refugees had been residing in Pakistan. Of these, 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ECC), while 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.

He emphasized that under the One Document Regime, Afghan nationals who wish to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business purposes are welcome, provided they obtain the appropriate visa and carry valid documentation.

Earlier, the government had completely banned providing any shelter, jobs, property renting, and any other facility to the illegally residing citizens of Afghanistan, according to media reports.Strict action would be taken against the individuals or organizations involved in assisting the illegal residents, said the Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, in a media briefing in Islamabad.

“There will be no extension of stay for Afghan immigrants without a valid passport and visa, and there is now zero tolerance for undocumented Afghan nationals,” he added.

84,869 Afghan nationals have been deported since 1 April 2025, among them were 25,320 Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) holders, while the remaining had no legal proof of their identity in Pakistan, Chaudry, while sharing deportation figures with the media.

He further stated that we are providing every possible facility to people waiting for their return to Afghanistan, and we have accommodated them at the transit area.