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Pakistan orders repatriation of registered Afghan refugees, sparking widespread panic
The move has affected over one million Afghans who were previously allowed to live in the country with PoR cards but without visas.
Pakistan’s federal government has ordered the expulsion of Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, declaring their stay unlawful following the cards’ expiry on June 30.
The move has affected over one million Afghans who were previously allowed to live in the country with PoR cards but without visas.
The interior ministry issued a special regulatory order (SRO) on Thursday, authorizing law enforcement to detain and deport PoR holders under the Foreigners Act, 1946. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government quickly followed with a public announcement and began setting up transit points in Peshawar and Landikotal.
The decision has alarmed refugee communities and rights groups.
UNHCR said it was deeply concerned about the legal and humanitarian implications, warning that forced returns could breach the international principle of non-refoulement.
Many Afghans believed the government would extend the cards, as had been done in the past. In June and July, several notifications from the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions had instructed authorities not to arrest PoR holders, fueling hope of a policy reversal.
Afghan business leaders condemned the move as abrupt and damaging. Syed Naqeeb Badshah, chair of the Muttahida Afghan Tajir Ittehad, said around 40,000 Afghan entrepreneurs operate in Peshawar alone, with some investing over Rs1 billion ($3.5 million) in Pakistan.
“This decision is unjust. You can’t just ask people who’ve lived here for decades to leave overnight,” he said.
UNHCR’s Pakistan spokesman Qaiser Khan Afridi said the agency is seeking clarity from the government and urged that any returns be voluntary and in accordance with international standards.
More than 1.3 million Afghans live in Pakistan, mostly in KP and Balochistan. Since Islamabad launched its repatriation drive in late 2023, over 1.1 million Afghans—mostly undocumented or holding Afghan Citizen Cards—have already returned. Recent IOM data shows fear of arrest remains the top reason for return.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Islamabad next week to discuss the issue with Pakistani authorities, UNHCR, and refugee representatives.
Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.
Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.
The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.
The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.
Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
The United Nations has warned that around one million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition and could die without urgent treatment.
UNICEF said on Tuesday that about 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a condition caused by acute malnutrition.
Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said around one million of these children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which is considered the most dangerous form of acute hunger.
“If there is no treatment and we are not able to act fast, that one million number are at risk of dying,” Oyewale said during a media briefing in Geneva, speaking from Kabul.
He said the nutrition crisis is worsening across the country, with more than 500,000 children requiring hospital care so far this year for moderate and severe wasting.
According to UNICEF, nearly 40 percent of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications are babies younger than six months. Children under the age of two account for more than 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases.
Oyewale said malnutrition is playing a major role in the increasing number of deaths among very young children in Afghanistan.
The situation has also placed growing pressure on hospitals. In July last year, around 6,000 severe malnutrition cases were recorded, while the number rose by about one-third to more than 8,000 cases by July this year.
“In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severely malnourished children for every available bed,” Oyewale said.
Kabul Municipality says the districts of Bagrami and Chahar Asyab will be incorporated into Kabul city as part of a broader plan to expand and develop the capital.
Nematullah Barakzai, a Kabul Municipality official, told the BBC that Kabul has experienced significant growth in recent years, both through the expansion of the city’s boundaries and the construction of high-rise buildings.
“Kabul is not only growing vertically, but it has also seen considerable horizontal expansion, which can be observed on Google Maps,” Barakzai said. “Kabul currently has 22 municipal districts, and Bagrami and Chahar Asyab are also expected to be incorporated into the city.”
The municipality has not yet announced a specific timeline for implementing the plan.
Bagrami is located about 15 kilometers from central Kabul, while Chahar Asyab lies south of the capital and serves as one of the main routes connecting Kabul with Afghanistan’s southern provinces.
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