Saudi Arabia has deported 5,033 Pakistani nationals for begging over the past 16 months, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed the National Assembly on Wednesday. An additional 369 Pakistanis were caught begging in five other countries during the same period.
Responding in writing to a question from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sehar Kamran, the minister revealed that a total of 5,402 Pakistanis were deported from six countries—Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—since January 2024. Of these, 4,850 were expelled last year, while 552 have returned to Pakistan so far in 2025.
Although the query requested data for the past three years, the minister only provided figures starting from January 2024.
Sindh Tops List of Deportees
Provincial data showed that more than half of those deported—2,795 individuals—were from Sindh. Punjab followed with 1,437 deportees, while 1,002 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan accounted for 125 individuals, Azad Kashmir 33, and Islamabad 10.
Following Saudi Arabia, Iraq recorded the second-highest number of deportations with 247 Pakistani nationals sent back. The UAE, which has recently imposed stricter visa policies for Pakistanis, deported 58 individuals for begging during this period.
Repatriation of Afghan Nationals
In response to a separate question by PML-N MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, Minister Naqvi reported that over one million undocumented Afghan nationals, including Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, have been repatriated since November 2023 under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP).
Naqvi stated that the IFRP, approved by the federal government, is part of Pakistan’s sovereign right to manage its borders and national security. He clarified that Pakistan is not bound by any international obligations in this regard, as it is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
He also confirmed that the government does not plan to extend the stay of ACC holders.
Since 2007, around 1.377 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (POR) cards have been repatriated under the UNHCR’s voluntary return programme. Currently, Pakistan hosts approximately 813,146 ACC holders and 1.304 million POR cardholders.
