By Ibrahim Shinwari

Copyright dawn

KHYBER: Hundreds of Afghan families living here for decades face a grim situation as the district administration has started approaching them through interlocutors to prepare them mentally and physically for their repatriation.

The administration constituted committees comprising officials of the district administration and elders with some other stakeholders in Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal to convince Afghan refugees about dignified and honourable repatriation in line with the government’s policy instead of forced return.

It also compiled particulars of all Afghan families living in Khyber, mostly in Landi Kotal and Jamrud areas, to ensure easy access to them in the future.

Deputy commissioner Rao Bilal Shahid told Dawn that the provincial government had clearly informed all DCs that there won’t be forced repatriation of Afghans.

DC says 6,500-7,000 families returning daily

“We have been directed by the provincial government to determine and ascertain the current status of the Afghans living in our districts through local elders and those who have any trading relationship with them and convey to them the government desire of an honourable and dignified return,” he said.

The DC said that though no deadline was fixed for the return of Afghans whose Proof of Registration cards and Afghan Citizen Card had been “deregistered” but those living in Khyber tribal district were conveyed the message through the nominated committees to be prepared for their voluntary return.

He said 150 families, whose PoR cards were revoked since the expiry of the August 31 deadline, have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan, while the local communities were in constant contact with the remaining families by reminding them about the official repatriation procedure.

“At present, 6,500-7,000 families are going back to Afghanistan on a daily basis as the return process has gained momentum since the expiry of the August 31 deadline for all types of registered and illegal Afghans,” he said.

However, Afghan nationals residing in Landi Kotal denied they’re approached by anyone or got any verbal or written message about their repatriation.

Requesting anonymity, they said a majority of them had been living in Landi Kotal since late 60s, with many born in Pakistan.

An Afghan shopkeeper and a fabric trader told Dawn that he was born in 1974 in Landi Kotal but didn’t remember when his father or grandfather had migrated to Pakistan from Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

“I have 42-year experience of trading in Landi Kotal and cultivated deep business and social relationships with locals,” he said.

He said never in the last five decades, he or other Afghans living here faced such an uncertain situation.

“I along with other Afghans living in Khyber are now contemplating winding up their businesses despite the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s repeated pledges that Afghans living in the province won’t be forced to go to their country of origin as they do not see any hope of the reversal of the recently announced repatriation policy,” he said.

Another Afghan national in the restaurant business said he and his family had no intention to go back to Afghanistan as they had been living in Pakistan since 1971, with most of them happily settled here since then. He added that all Afghan children were enrolled in local educational institutions.

“Neither my heart nor my soul allows me to desert Pakistan as we have invested all our capital here and our children do not even know which province or district of Afghanistan they belong to as they belong to the fourth generation of our family which has been residing here since decades,” he said.

Both these Afghan businessmen told Dawn that they had only thrice visited their native province of Nangarhar since their migration to Pakistan and they also had family members buried here.

Traders in Bara said around 3,000 Afghan shopkeepers were running their businesses in Bara, while 1,800 were registered with the Landi Kotal Bazaar Union.

They said that almost all Afghan traders and shopkeepers lived in the bordering localities of Peshawar as they’re expelled from Bara in 2009 when a military operation began against the outlawed terrorist groups.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2025