• Asks authorities to speed up dignified repatriation of Afghan nationals
• Additional exit points to be set up on border to facilitate smooth return
• Over 1.47m Afghans repatriated as of Oct 16
• KP chief minister skips high-level meeting also attended by COAS

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday decided to expedite the dignified repatriation of Afghan nationals without granting any further extension and to shut down all Afghan refugee camps across the country.

The government also decided to establish additional exit points along the Pak-Afghan border to ensure the smooth return of Afghan nationals to their homeland. It reiterated that harbouring illegal Afghan residents wo­­uld be treated as a serious offence and violators wo­­u­ld face stern punishment.

The decisions were ta­­ken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Mi­­nister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting was atten­d­­ed by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marsh­­al Syed Asim Munir, chief ministers Maryam Nawaz of Punjab, Syed Murad Ali Shah of Sindh and Sar­­fraz Bugti of Baloch­is­tan, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kash­m­­ir Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, and several federal ministers.

Newly elected Khyber Pakhtu­nkhwa Chief Min­ister Sohail Afridi did not attend the meeting and was represented by Fina­nce Minister Muzzammil Aslam.

In his maiden speech earlier, the KP chief minister had oppo­sed the repatriation of Afghans, calling them “brothers”.

During the meeting, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s lo­­n­gstanding commitment to supporting Afghanistan in times of diffic­ulty but expressed concern over the continued involvement of Afghan nationals in cross-border terrorism.

He directed all provincial governments and relevant federal ins­titutions to work in close coordination to ensure the early and orderly repatriation of all Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakis­tan, stressing that no further extension would be granted for their stay.

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The PM appreciated Pakistan’s decades-long ho­spitality toward millions of Afghan refugees despite enormous econo­mic and security challen­ges, recalling that the co­­untry had suffered heavy losses in the war against terrorism in terms of both lives and resources.

“Despite multiple diplomatic efforts, including high-level visits by the de­­puty prime minister and foreign minister, def­ence minister, and other senior officials to Kabul, Pak­is­tan’s concerns reg­­arding the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups re­­main unresolved,” he said.

“The brave people of Pakistan, who have sacrificed so much in the fight against terrorism, now rightly ask how long we can continue bearing the burden of Afghan refugees,” the prime minister added.

The forum was infor­m­­ed that, as of Oct 16, more than 1.47 million Afghan nationals had already been repatriated in a phased manner.

Autho­ri­ties said that only those holding valid Pakistani visas would be allowed to stay, while the number of border exit points was being increased to expedite the process.

The prime minister ins­tructed that the repatriation be carried out in a di­­­gnified and humane manner, with particular care for the elderly, wom­en, children, and membe­­rs of minority communities.

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Warning of strict act­i­­on, the PM said: “Harbouring or sheltering il­­l­egal Afg­han residents, including al­­lowing them to stay in guest houses, is a punishable offence under the law.”

He also lauded the ar­­m­­ed forces under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir for effecti­v­e­­ly repelling recent cross-border attacks from Afg­hanistan. He said the ar­­med forces had always demonstrated their professional excellence in defending the homeland.

The meeting participants, including the AJK prime minister and provincial leaders, appreciated Pa­­kistan’s diplomatic efforts and pra­ised the leadership of PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Asim Munir for steering national policy on the issue.

Concluding the session, the PM directed all provincial governm­ents and institutions to fully implement the agreed recommendations and extend complete cooperation to ensure the timely and dignified repatriation of all illegal Afghan residents from Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2025