KOHAT: Afghan refugees living here have urged Pakistani authorities not to force them into leaving the country by March 31.

They claim that their third generation was settled in Pakistan and the Taliban administration in Kabul openly refused to accept them as Afghan nationals.

Haji Malik Mujahid Shinwari, an elder of the refugees, told Dawn that they couldn’t go to their country even to attend funerals.

He claimed that most Afghan refugees possessed Pakistani computerised national identity cards and did business in major cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.

“It’s unfair to trouble refugees by setting expulsion deadlines,” he said.

The elder said many refugees had Pakistani spouses, while their children were enrolled in local schools and colleges.

He also urged Kabul to maintain “good” relations with Islamabad to ensure Afghan refugees don’t suffer in Pakistan.

Mr Shinwari said there had not been any political and economic instability in Afghanistan since 1980, so refugees had no future there.

“We’re anxious due to the prevailing uncertainty,” he said, urging Pakistani authorities to allow the refugees with valid documents to stay in the country.

When contacted, the refugee camp’s administrator insisted that the Afghan refugee cards, which were valid until June 30, 2025, were not travel documents.

Meanwhile, the Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry has demanded the resolution of issues at the local small industrial estate to encourage investment and development.

In a statement, the KCCI said as the industrial estate lacked facilities, only 21 factories had been established on 80 plots there since 1982. A delegation led by KCCI founding president Rashid Paracha and comprising senior vice president Fahimullah and other office-bearers met with deputy commissioner Abdul Akram Chitrali and informed him about their issues. The DC promised their early resolution.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025