Federal Govt seeks record of Afghan students residing in KP
Government Says Expulsion of Afghan Nationals Unavoidable Due to Security Concerns
PESHAWAR: With the deadline for illegal Afghan nationals to leave Pakistan approaching, the Ministry of Interior’s Foreign National Security Cell has requested the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial government to provide a record of Afghan students residing in the region.
In a letter addressed to KP’s interior secretary, the federal ministry stated that the Foreign National Security Cell was updating its database on foreign nationals and required the data on Afghan students by March 27.
This move is part of Pakistan’s broader directive for all illegal aliens, including Afghan citizens, to leave the country by March 31. The Afghan Taliban-led administration in Kabul had previously requested Pakistan to extend the stay of Afghans residing illegally, particularly in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, but the request was denied by Pakistan.
Afghan nationals who possess documents for relocation to another country have been given until March 31, 2025, to stay. Those with valid Pakistani visas can continue residing in the country until their visa expires.
Government sources stated that the decision to expel Afghan nationals has become unavoidable due to security concerns, particularly in the sensitive twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Read more: Curfew Imposed in KP’s Tank, South, and North Waziristan on March 25
According to February statistics from the Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees (CCAR), Pakistan is home to approximately 2.9 million Afghan refugees, of which 0.7 million are unregistered, and 1.4 million are registered.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.