For Malam Zameer, who has lived in Peshawar’s Khababiyan Afghan refugee camp for the past four decades, the thought of returning to Afghanistan feels both unthinkable and heartbreaking. Born in Afghanistan but raised in Pakistan, he never thought he would have to leave the place where most of his children were born and raised.
“Since the de-notification of refugee camps, I can hardly sleep,” Zameer told The Express Pakinomist. “We are being asked to return, but how can we afford it? It costs between Rs 200,000 and 300,000 to transport our belongings to Afghanistan. Most of us are daily wage labourers, vegetable sellers or unemployed. Even if we want to go, how will we pay for it?”
The federal government on Friday, through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), issued a formal notification to immediately close 28 Afghan refugee camps across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In the review of 15. On October 2025, it appeared that the decision was in accordance with the Ministry of the Interior’s instructions of 31 July 2025.
The notification clarified that the land and fixed assets of these camps will be handed over to the provincial government and the relevant deputy commissioners.
In another deregistered camp in Shamshatoo, Raghuna Bibi (name changed) has a similar story. She was born in Peshawar’s Haji camp, got married nine years ago and has since lived in Shamshatoo with her two children. “We bought a small three-marla house here with our life savings. How can we just leave it there?” she said. “My children were supposed to start school, but now we are being told to leave the country and move to Afghanistan. The uncertainty has made us mentally paralyzed.
According to data provided to The Express Pakinomist by the Afghan Commissioner, a total of 43 Afghan refugee camps across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including in Peshawar, Swabi, Nowshera, Mardan and Haripur, have been de-notified. Refugees living in these camps have been instructed to return to Afghanistan and repatriation is being done in phases under government policy.
In Haripur, three Afghan camps housing around 67,000 refugees have also been deregistered. According to District Police Officer (DPO) Farhan Khan, around 10,000 refugees have already crossed into Afghanistan over the past few days, while the repatriation of the remaining 57,000 is continuing.
Read: Punjab launches crackdown on illegal Afghan residents, whistleblower system announced
Sources said the move was meant to ensure a gradual return of Afghan citizens living illegally in Pakistan. Notices have been issued to vacate camps in Nowshera, including Akora Khattak and Khairabad.
“We are ensuring a dignified repatriation process,” DPO Khan said. “Police teams visit camps to guide families on voluntary return. There is no compulsion, families leave willingly. Both the district administration and the police follow government policy to facilitate their safe return.”
Similarly, eight Afghan camps in Peshawar, including major settlements like Khazana, Naguman, Khababiyan and Khurasan, have also been de-registered. According to officials, families have been advised by the deputy commissioner’s office to prepare for departure.
But many refugees are still waiting for clarity on their property and business assets before moving.
Government sources said the district administrations had been directed to ensure that the camps are completely vacated within seven days. Authorities reportedly ended all arrangements for a dignified return of Afghan refugees, while security agencies stepped up surveillance around the camps to maintain order.
Peshawar SSP Operations Masood Ahmed Bangash told The Express Pakinomist, “that the city police have been instructed to assist refugees in their return. We are ensuring that those returning do not face transport or route-related difficulties,” he said. “Police have been strictly instructed not to detain or harass any Afghan refugee. Those who leave are doing so in accordance with the government’s official repatriation policy.
The move is part of the government’s policy of repatriating Afghan refugees and implementing deportation measures. Joint teams of district police and local administration monitor registration and relocation of camp residents. Commissioner Mardan has submitted a report to the Chief Secretary and the Afghan Commissioner has transferred administrative control of the abandoned camps to the Commissioner.
Deportation of Afghans
The closures are part of a broader state policy to deport illegal Afghan refugees, precipitated by rising tensions with Afghanistan. In Punjab, the government plans to establish a “whistleblower system” to report illegal migrants, while in Sindh authorities have begun demolishing Afghan homes to facilitate repatriation.
During a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, it was announced that the whistleblower system would preserve the anonymity of informants. The government will also launch a combing operation targeting illegal residents and businesses, with those found without legal status to be deported in accordance with federal policy.
The Punjab government has also moved to bring Afghan nationals into the tax net. The information minister clarified that Afghans legally resident in Pakistan would not be allowed to do business without paying taxes.
Read more: Demolition of Afghan homes begins in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth
According to Interior Ministry statistics, around 65,000 Afghan nationals have already been deported, with operations underway.
In Karachi, the authorities have started demolishing houses in the Afghan Basti area of Sohrab Goth. The Malir Development Authority (MDA) has taken control of the land to prevent encroachment and reclaim it for official use. Previously, the camp, under Gulshan-e-Maymar police jurisdiction, housed more than 3,000 homes and around 15,000 Afghan nationals, although around 1,500 reportedly remain.
The human cost
In Punjab, the crackdown has raised concerns from local Pakhtun communities, who say they are often subjected to identity checks during police raids.
“It is because of them that our areas are undergoing combing repeatedly,” said Gulzeb Khan, a businessman from Lahore Cantonment and a member of the Pakhtun Welfare Association. He added that it has become difficult for his community to get documents like NICs, passports and birth certificates.
Afghan nationals in Pakistan have also expressed distress. Moeen Khan, a laborer in Lahore, said he and his family had lived in the country for 60 years and had no remaining relatives in Afghanistan. “We love Pakistan and want both countries to live as brothers. This country has given us shelter and opportunities,” he said, recounting an incident where the police stopped his family at a city entry point and demanded Rs 500. to avoid deportation.
Pak-Afghan border clash
Pakistan has maintained its repatriation policy since November 2023 as part of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan. Authorities have since repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghans during the ongoing deportation effort.
Read also: Explained: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict
However, tensions have intensified recently following the Afghan fire at several locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, prompting swift military retaliation. Several Afghan positions were destroyed and dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants were killed.
A 48-hour ceasefire was agreed at the behest of the Afghan Taliban regime following Pakistan’s “precision strikes” on Taliban and terrorist hideouts in Kandahar and Kabul.
