KABUL: Nearly 60,000 Afghans have been forced to leave Pakistan since the start of April, the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday, after Islamabad ramped up a campaign to deport migrants to Afghanistan.
“Between 1 and 13 April 2025, IOM recorded a sharp rise in forced returns, with nearly 60,000 individuals crossing back into Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border points,” the UN agency said in a statement.
“With a new wave of large-scale returns now underway from Pakistan, needs on the ground are rising rapidly — both at the border and in areas of return that are struggling to absorb large numbers of returnees,” said Mihyung Park, head of the agency’s Afghanistan mission.
Pakistan last month set an early April deadline for some 800,000 Afghans carrying Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) issued by Pakistan authorities to leave the country.
Families with their belongings in tow have crowded key border crossings of Torkham in the north and Spin Boldak in the south, recalling scenes in 2023 when tens of thousands of Afghans fled deportation threats in Pakistan.
The UN says nearly three million Afghans live in Pakistan, many having been there for decades, after fleeing successive conflicts in their country and following the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
Nearly 60,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan in two weeks— UN agency
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Nearly 60,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan in two weeks— UN agency
- Pakistan last month set early April deadline for some 800,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave country
- UN says nearly three million Afghans live in Pakistan who escaped to neighboring country to escape conflict
Pakistan sees 40% increase in services exports to Kuwait in 2025
- Islamabad’s services exports to Kuwait increased from $16.7 million in 2024 to $23.6 million in 2025, Pakistani embassy says
- Says upward trend underscores strengthening economic linkages between Pakistan and the Gulf country in services sector
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s services exports to Kuwait have recorded 40% increase from January to November 2025, Pakistan’s embassy in the Gulf country said recently, adding that it reflected the strengthening of economic ties between the two states.
Pakistan’s services exports to Kuwait were reported at $12.6 million in 2022, according to the Pakistan embassy in the Gulf country. These exports increased in 2023 to $15 million and further to $16.7 million in 2024.
As per the latest data shared by the Pakistan embassy in Kuwait, from January to November 2025, Pakistan’s services exports to the country increased to $23.6 million, marking a 40 percent increase.
“This upward trend underscores strengthening economic linkages between Pakistan and Kuwait in the services sector,” the embassy said in a post on social media platform X on Sunday.
Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with Kuwait, with diplomatic relations between the two countries dating back to October 1963. The two countries cooperate with each other at various international fora, including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Financial Action Task Force and others.
Kuwait hosts around 95,000 Pakistani nationals, as per figures shared by Pakistan’s foreign office. The ratio of skilled and unskilled Pakistani laborers in Kuwait is around 70 percent to 30 percent, with the majority being blue collar workers such as masons, steel and tile fixers, drivers, plumbers, painters, barbers, dry cleaners and tailors.
A small number of Pakistani white-collared professionals such as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants and financial experts also work in Kuwait.
