ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Friday announced that all Afghan nationals residing illegally in the country, including Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, must depart voluntarily by March 31 or face deportation starting April 1.
The ACC scheme, initiated in 2017, provided temporary legal status to undocumented Afghans in Pakistan. It differs from the Proof of Registration (PoR) system, which grants refugee status to Afghan nationals recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Pakistan government.
Unlike PoR card holders, who are protected under international refugee frameworks, ACC holders were never formally recognized as refugees and were only granted temporary permission to stay.
The recent directive will primarily impact them along with other undocumented Afghan nationals, many of whom fled to Pakistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
“Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP) is being implemented since 1 November 2023,” the government’s statement, available on the Press Information Department’s website, said. “In continuation to Government’s decision to repatriate all illegal foreigners, national leadership has now decided to also repatriate ACC holders.”
“All illegal foreigners and ACC holders are advised to leave the country voluntarily before 31 March 2025,” it added. “Thereafter, deportation will commence [with effect from] 1 April 2025.”
The statement maintained Pakistan had granted sufficient time to these people to ensure their dignified return. It also added that the authorities would adopt a humane approach while carrying out the repatriation process.
“It is emphasized that no one will be maltreated during the repatriation process and arrangements for food and health care for returning foreigners have also been put in place,” the statement noted.
It pointed out that all those individuals who were staying in Pakistan would need to fulfil legal requirement and abide by the country’s constitution.
The Pakistan government launched the deportation drive against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghan nationals, in November 2023 after a string of suicide bombings in the country.
Officials in Islamabad cited security concerns for the decision, alleging that Afghan nationals had been involved in militant activities, including attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces, a claim denied by Taliban authorities in Kabul.
Last year, the government also announced that Afghan citizens residing in Islamabad would require No Objection Certificates (NOCs) after alleging that many of them had participated in an anti-government protest led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which later turned violent.
The government’s directive will affect numerous Afghans in Pakistan awaiting resettlement to third countries, including the United States.
Many of them had assisted international forces and now fear retribution from the Taliban. However, recent policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration have all but suspended US refugee admissions, leaving thousands in limbo.
Last month, the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which operates under the UN system, voiced concern over Pakistan’s directive requiring Afghan nationals to relocate from Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation, urging the government to consider human rights standards in implementing the policy.
Pakistan orders undocumented foreigners, Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave by March 31
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Pakistan orders undocumented foreigners, Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave by March 31
- The government says it has already granted sufficient time to these people for their dignified return
- It maintains people who continue to stay in Pakistan must abide by the country’s constitution
Firefighter dies battling Pakistan mall blaze raising death toll to six
- The fire gutted several shops at Gul Plaza in Karachi’s Saddar business district late Saturday
- Police say an investigation into the cause of fire will be launched once the blaze is doused
ISLAMABAD: A firefighter was killed while battling a blaze at a shopping mall in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, officials said on Sunday, raising the death toll from the incident to six.
The fire, which erupted at Gul Plaza in Karachi’s Saddar business district late Saturday, gutted several shops, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesman.
Television footage showed several fire trucks using ladders, water cannons and hoses to douse the building’s floors, where flames shot out of windows and balconies.
Around 20 injured persons were shifted to hospital, where a firefighter among six individuals succumbed to burn injuries.
“The entire team and machinery are busy extinguishing the fire,” Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said. “Firefighters are carrying out the rescue operation risking their own lives.”
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation would be launched once the blaze was extinguished. However, most structures in Karachi, and other parts of the country, lack fire prevention and firefighting systems, which often result in damages and casualties.
Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common. In November 2023, a fire tore through a shopping mall in the city, killing 10 people and injuring 22 others.
Sindh Chief Minister directed the Karachi commissioner to probe the incident and submit an inquiry report.
“Fire safety arrangements in the building must be checked,” he said. “Action be taken against those responsible in case negligence or carelessness is proven.”
In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the Karachi fire incident, urging all necessary action to protect lives and property of people.
“Relevant agencies should work together in the rescue operation,” he said. “All possible assistance should be provided to the affected traders and other people.”
