Pakistan court bars 'harassment' of Afghan refugees with valid registration cards

A Pakistan court barred on Wednesday all law enforcement agencies from harassing Afghan nationals holding valid Proof of Registration (POR) cards, declaring that no decision has yet been made by the federal government on their deportation.

In a written order, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) instructed the attorney general and provincial advocate general to ensure compliance and to notify all departments under their control.

The ruling came during hearings on a petition filed on behalf of POR cardholders facing increased pressure amid the country’s broader campaign to expel undocumented Afghan refugees.

The court order said POR cardholders remain under legal protection until at least June 30, 2025 — the current expiration date of their documentation.

“The federal government has not made any decision yet regarding the deportation of POR cardholders,” the judgment noted, emphasizing that all law enforcement agencies must cease any intimidation or coercion.

Barrister Sarwar Shah, one of the lawyers representing Afghan refugees in the case, told the court that even legally documented refugees were being rounded up or forced to flee due to growing pressure from local authorities.

“The government has launched a crackdown on undocumented Afghans, but POR cardholders are being caught in the dragnet,” Shah said. “This is a violation of their legal status and human dignity.”

Afghan refugees’ issue

The case comes amid a renewed wave of Afghan departures. Pakistan’s federal government earlier set a deadline of March 31 for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders — about 800,000 individuals — to leave the country or face deportation. Enforcement began in early April following the Eid holidays.

According to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 8,000 undocumented Afghans and ACC holders crossed into Afghanistan through Torkham and Spin Boldak in just two days this week.

Afghan officials say the number is slightly lower but acknowledge a steady flow. Taliban-appointed refugee ministry spokesman Abdul Mutalib Haqqani warned the rate of return could rise in coming days.

“We urge Pakistan not to deport them forcefully,” Haqqani told AFP. “There must be a proper agreement between both governments so that people return with dignity.”

Pakistan launched its “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” in October 2023, initially targeting undocumented migrants. At least 700,000 Afghans have returned since, officials say, though many remain in limbo.

KP CM distances from expulsion drive

Last week, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur publicly opposed forced deportations of Afghans residing in his province, citing humanitarian and cultural values.

“No Afghan will be forced to return in conditions where the Afghan government neither owns them nor provides accommodation or food,” Gandapur said in Islamabad.

He emphasized that peace in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region requires dialogue, not deportation threats.

Pakistan currently hosts nearly three million Afghans, many of whom fled war, poverty or political turmoil over the past four decades. Thousands arrived after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, though only a small fraction have been resettled in third countries.

— With additional input from AFP