Govt moves to shut Afghan refugee camps | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has decided to close Afghan refugee camps that have been in operation for 40 years, ordering the shutdown of five such facilities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), following the return of refugees to their home country.

The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan has issued a notification, directing that the land of the camps be handed over to the provincial government and the deputy commissioners of the relevant districts.

The five camps being closed in K-P, included three camps in Haripur district, one in Chitral, and one in Upper Dir. the Panian camp in Haripur alone had housed more than 100,000 refugees, according to officials.

The government started sending back undocumented Afghan refugees in October 2023, citing reasons of increasing crime and terrorism. Earlier this week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif repeated that Afghan refugees were linked to terrorism in Balochistan and K-P.

In Quetta, recently, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti met Acting Afghan Consul General Maulvi Muhammad Habib Nasir to discuss the refugees’ return and dignified repatriation to Afghanistan.

Bugti said the process would be gradual and humane, with special arrangements for the elderly, women, and children. He added the provincial government was coordinating with UNHCR to ensure the repatriation proceeded with dignity.

According to UNHCR, the majority of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are currently residing in K-P. However, K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has opposed forced repatriations, while his information adviser recently demanded an immediate halt to the process.