PESHAWAR: The federal government’s decision to expel Afghan nationals with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, the last category of refugees legally living in the country without visas, has left those over one million people in panic. The interior ministry on Thursday issued a special regulatory order (SRO), saying PoR cards expired on June 30 this year, rendering their holders’ stay in the country unlawful. It empowered district administration, police, prosecution, prisons and all other authorities to take appropriate measures for the arrest and detention, whether in jails or other suitable premises, and repatriation of all such illegal foreigners. “Federal Government is pleased to invoke the provisions of sub-sections (I), (2)(c), (2)(e)(i) and (2)(g) of Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, in relation to PoR card holders forthwith,” the SRO read. Following the issuance of SRO, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department on Friday made a public announcement regarding the deportation of Afghans with PoR cards. It was also published in Saturday’s newspapers. UNHCR says govt’s decision raises serious concerns about refugees protection, legal status In the announcement, the department said since PoR cards had expired on June 30, their holders were unlawfully staying in the country. It added that the government had already implemented the decision of deportation of undocumented Afghans as well as holders of Afghan Citizen Card (AAC). “Stay of all those Afghan nationals without having Pakistani visa on valid passport is unlawful, therefore, they should leave for homeland,” it said. The department also said that the KP government had set up transit points at Peshawar and Landikotal area of Khyber tribal district to host the returning Afghans. Though PoR cards’ validity expired on June 30 this year, its holders hoped that authorities would extend their stay, like they always used to do. At least three notifications were issued by the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions in June and July this year, directing police and other authorities to not arrest those with PoR cards, block their accounts and phone SIM cards, further giving them hopes about possible extension of their stay in the country. Chairperson of the Muttahida Afghan Tajir Ittehad Syed Naqeeb Badshah told Dawn that the “sudden decision to expel Afghans” was an unwise decision. He said that just weeks ago, the Safron ministry had conveyed to government departments that the case for extension of PoR holders’ stay was being submitted to the federal cabinet. Mr Badshah said that it was cruel to order millions of people to leave immediately, who were staying here for decades. “I am not sure if Afghan refugees fall victim to politics or something else happened,” he said. The chairperson said that there were around 40,000 Afghans businessmen in Peshawar, who had invested from Rs1 million to Rs1 billion in Pakistan. “Pakistani government wakes up one fine day and asks these people, including 559 having invested over Rs1 billion in the country, to leave immediately. This makes no sense,” he said. Mr Badshah said that Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was due in Islamabad the next week to hold talks with Pakistani authorities, UNHCR, IOM and refugee leaders. “This decision is unilateral and we have repeatedly asked the Pakistani leaders to review it,” he said. An Afghan leather garment designer told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the notification had spread fear and panic among Afghans living in Pakistan. “Every Afghan is fear-stricken and even there is no forum left where we could petition,” he said. He said that they were businessmen and not refugees. “At least 22 workers are working with me and fear-mongering about refugees as a burden was unfounded,” he said. Spokesman for UNHCR Pakistan Qaiser Khan Afridi voiced “deep concern about the latest worrying developments” regarding the implementation of Islamabad’s plan to repatriate registered refugees with PoR cards. “We have seen the recent notification [SRO] that was issued by the Ministry of Interior on July 31 regarding the launch of phase III of the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan and are following up with the relevant authorities to clarify the implications for registered refugees,” he said. He said that the SRO, which rendered PoR card holders present in the country unlawful, raised serious concerns about their protection and legal status, not to mention severe disruption to incomes and education. “The refugee legal character of people affected by the threat of deportation remains, and forced returns could breach the principle of non-refoulement, where states are bound not to return people back to countries where their life or freedom could be threatened,” he said. Mr Afridi added that UNHCR advocated for the protection of all refugees and that any return should be conducted in a voluntary, safe and dignified manner, in line with international principles. According to UNHCR, there were over 1.3 million Afghans in Pakistan as of June 30, 2025. More than half of them (717,945) lived in KP, 326,584 in Balochistan, 195,188 in Punjab, 75,510 in Sindh and 43,154 in Islamabad. Following a nationwide census of Afghans in 2004-05, the Pakistani government with the help of UNHCR issued a Proof of Registration (PoR) card to Afghan refugees whereas in 2016, through an amendment in the Foreigner Act 1946, Afghan Citizenship Card (ACC) was introduced. Since November 2023 when Pakistani authorities started implementing the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, undocumented as well as AAC Card holders have left the country, while Afghans with PoR cards are the only category of those still legally staying in Pakistan. The July 1-15 figures from the report on the IOM biweekly flow monitoring of Afghan nationals show that a total of 1.14 million individuals have returned to Afghanistan since Sept 2023. According to them, the highest number of 262,443 individuals returned to Afghanistan in November 2023, while 148,121 others went back in April this year, following a government drive to deport ACC Card holders. The IOM report stated that during the reporting period (1 - 15 July 2025), fear of arrest (93pc) remained an important reason for respondents to return. “Additionally, 29 per cent reported that they returned because a family member was deported,” it said. Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2025