ISLAMABAD: Former ambassador Asif Durrani underscored the complexity of the Afghan refugees’ situation in Pakistan, reminding all stakeholders that “this is not just Pakistan’s responsibility, but the international community must share the burden”.

Speaking at the focus group discussion titled ‘Policy Options for Balancing Expulsions and Rights of Afghans Born/Settled in Pakistan’, the former envoy for Afghanistan called for international cooperation.

He also emphasised the need for a balanced approach, recognising the distinction between security concerns and the legitimate presence of peaceful, long-settled Afghan businesspeople.

He pointed out that the issue transcended national borders and reflected a broader humanitarian and political challenge that demanded urgent multilateral attention.

Ex-envoy says need to make distinction between ‘security concerns’ and ‘legitimate presence’ of long-settled refugees

The discussion was organised by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) with participation from the Afghan business community

based in Pakistan, representatives from the diplomatic community, and former envoys and regional experts.

Mr Durrani said that the international acknowledgement that there was now peace in Afghanistan served as a pull factor for the repatriation of Afghans living in Pakistan.

“It is widely known that most Afghans here don’t want to stay in Pakistan: they want to move to the US or Europe. However, after President Trump’s policy changes, that pathway is now blocked, and they are stuck in a limbo,” he said, adding that the Afghans must raise their case at the international level, appealing to the broader international community to accommodate and help them, recognising them as political refugees.

“Pakistan must do its part, but so should others,” he said.

He said Afghan children born here should have the right to citizenship while also pointing out the security aspect of the refugee issue.

Dr Shoaib Suddle, former federal tax ombudsman and former police chief, noted that under international law, deportation was justified only on specific grounds: threat to public order, national security, espionage, terrorism, organised crime, overstaying a visa, or fraudulent asylum claims. “Otherwise, it becomes a human rights issue.”

He added that Afghan businessmen contributing positively to the Pakistani economy and billions in taxes to the national exchequer should itself be a justification for allowing them to stay, which can even be a pathway to citizenship.

“While we cannot ignore the threat TTP poses, we must welcome businessmen and investors. We should make it easier for them to engage in business activities in Pakistan, as it is a high risk for them to conduct transactions through friends,” he said.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan, as President Karzai used to call it, are like Siamese twins and cannot be separated. Pakistan’s 1951 Citizenship Act isn’t overly complicated. If applications had been submitted in time, many of these issues could have been resolved,” said the former ambassador Raza Muhammad.

“Is it not unfair to conflate Afghan business people with the issue of TTP? Why not just allow them to go through the naturalisation process?” the executive director of CRSS, Imtiaz Gul, asked. “We must prioritise who should stay and who should go. As part of ‘Beyond Boundaries’, we have advocated for streamlining these issues, enabling Afghan businesspeople to open bank accounts and access basic services,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2025