Since March 2002, UNHCR has facilitated the return of approximately 4.1 million registered Afghans from Pakistan
1.45 million Afghans still living in Pakistan
Updated 16 April 2018
APP
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has declared Pakistan as the largest country for giving shelter to refugees in the world and most of the refugees were belonging to Afghanistan.
As per the UNHCR report, Pakistan was hosting the largest number of refugees in the country and as many as 1.45 million were hailed from Afghanistan.
The report added that Pakistan unconditionally hosted millions of refugees and provided best possible facilities to these affected people of different countries especially Afghan citizens when the war was on peak in it and still 1.45 million were living in Pakistan.
Pakistan continued hosted Afghan refugees for more than three decades, it said.
Similarly, the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan to their own country was also the largest in the world, the report stated.
Since March 2002, UNHCR has facilitated the return of approximately 4.1 million registered Afghans from Pakistan, it added.
ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh, in collaboration with the UN Tourism Office, hosted an event this week to mark the United Nations-designated International Day of Mountains, bringing together diplomats, civil society members, mountaineers and artists to spotlight the global and Pakistani significance of mountain ecosystems.
Pakistan is home to some of the world’s largest mountain ranges and glacier systems outside the polar regions, including the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush, which feed major rivers that sustain agriculture, hydropower and drinking water for millions of people. Rising temperatures linked to climate change are accelerating glacial melt, increasing the risk of floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods, while also threatening long-term water security as ice reserves shrink.
These changes are already affecting mountain communities whose livelihoods depend on farming, tourism and pastoralism, exposing them to displacement, loss of income and environmental degradation, and amplifying the human and economic costs of extreme weather events across downstream regions.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq is briefing guests about mountain ecosystems in Pakistan at the UN Tourism Office in Riyadh on December 11, 2025. (Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
Held at the UN Tourism Office in Riyadh, Thursday’s event focused on the ecological, cultural and economic importance of mountains, with particular attention to Pakistan’s vast high-altitude landscapes.
The evening opened with a micro-documentary titled Mountains of Pakistan, showcasing the country’s mountain ranges and their ecological value. Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq, in his opening remarks, highlighted the essential role mountains play in sustaining water systems, food security and communities, while also drawing attention to the growing threats posed by climate change.
“Mountains are not just landscapes, they are life-giving ecosystems, repositories of culture, and sources of inspiration,” Farooq said. “Tonight, we celebrate not only their beauty but our shared responsibility to protect them for future generations.”
Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq posing for picture with guests at the UN Tourism Office in Riyadh on December 11, 2025. (Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
He also referred to challenges facing Pakistan’s mountain regions, including climate-change-driven glacial melt and related environmental risks, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to sustainable mountain development.
The program included remarks by the director of the UN Tourism Office, who underscored the importance of international cooperation in preserving fragile mountain ecosystems. A second micro-documentary, Spirit of Mountaineering, paid tribute to the courage and resilience of Pakistani climbers and their contributions to global mountaineering.
Among the featured speakers was Naila Kiani, a prominent Pakistani mountaineer and environmental advocate, who shared her experiences scaling some of the world’s highest peaks, including K2 and Nanga Parbat. Kiani is the first Pakistani woman and overall third Pakistani to climb 12 of the 14 eight-thousanders.
A prominent Pakistani mountaineer and environmental advocate, Naila Kiani, is addressing an event to mark International Day of Mountains in Riyadh on December 11, 2025. (Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia)
Ambassador Farrukh Amil, a senior Pakistani career diplomat and former ambassador, spoke about Pakistan’s mountain heritage and ongoing initiatives to promote conservation and eco-tourism, while landscape photographer Awais Ali presented a photographic exhibition capturing the majesty of Pakistan’s northern regions and the lives of their communities.
The event concluded with the formal inauguration of the mountain photography exhibition curated by Ali, offering guests an immersive visual journey through Pakistan’s highlands.
The embassy said the celebration reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to raising global awareness about mountain ecosystems, promoting sustainable tourism and fostering international collaboration to address climate challenges affecting these fragile environments.
