Pakistan currently hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees, says Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik
ISLAMABAD – Approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees have been repatriated since the government’s deportation campaign began in November 2023, Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik told the National Assembly on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
Malik explained that the initial phase of the government’s efforts targeted undocumented foreigners, with individuals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) to be addressed in later stages. The ACC was introduced in 2017 to provide temporary legal status to Afghan refugees.
Responding to a question from lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan during the parliamentary session, Malik stated that an estimated 3 million Afghan refugees are currently residing in Pakistan. “Out of these, 813,000 are holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, while 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards,” he said.
He clarified that Afghan citizens are still welcome to enter Pakistan for medical treatment, education, or business purposes—as long as they obtain a valid Pakistani visa and carry proper documentation.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Interior instructed all undocumented foreigners, including ACC holders, to voluntarily leave Pakistan by March 31. Deportations officially commenced on April 1, with thousands of Afghans removed from different parts of the country in the following weeks.
Pakistan has hosted over 2.8 million Afghan refugees over the past four decades, many of whom fled ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.
