Afghan Refugees Complain of Growing Restrictions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Afghans recently expelled from Pakistan say restrictions on Afghan refugees living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have increased following the imposition of governor’s rule and a state of emergency by Pakistan’s central government.

They say Pakistani police have been conducting raids on Afghan refugees’ homes and imposing further restrictions on their daily lives.

Mohammad Rahman, an Afghan expelled from Pakistan, said: “We were living in Punjab, but conditions gradually deteriorated, so we moved to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At that time, Imran Khan’s government was in power, and the situation was good. However, after Pakistan’s central government imposed governor’s rule and a state of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, conditions became difficult. We could no longer go outside, arrests began, and whenever police detained us, we were forced to pay money.”

Families recently expelled from Pakistan share different accounts of the hardships they experienced during displacement.

They say being arrested by police while working, having money taken from them under various pretexts, and facing late-night raids on their homes are experiences they will never forget.

Sohail Khan, an Afghan expelled from Pakistan, said: “Police would raid our homes at night, but they would not come during the day. Instead, they would stand in markets, harass Afghan refugees, and take money from them.”

Sarfraz, another Afghan expelled from Pakistan, said: “Our truck was loaded with belongings on the other side of the crossing, but they forced us to unload everything. Four families had loaded their belongings onto the truck, yet they caused us unnecessary difficulties. They even made us unload the food supplies we had purchased for our homes.”

Over the past three months, nearly 27,000 Afghan refugees have returned to the country through Torkham.

An official at the Omari Temporary Settlement in Torkham told that preparations have been made for a possible increase in the number of returnees and that 12 committees will continue providing essential services, as they have in the past.

Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal, an official at the Omari Temporary Settlement in Torkham, said: “As Pakistan’s central government has taken control in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, if conditions become more difficult for Afghan refugees, we have made all necessary preparations here at the Omari Temporary Settlement in Torkham. We will continue providing services as effectively as before.”

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a report that nearly six million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan since the beginning of the return process.

At the same time, the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing of the Islamic Emirate announced that more than 74,000 residential land plots have been distributed to returnees across 22 provinces of Afghanistan.

According to the ministry, land has been allocated for returnees in 27 townships, and 37 development plans for these townships have also been approved.