Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Islam Qala reception center, Afghanistan&#39;s second-largest border crossing with Iran, has suspended all operations except basic health services after Taliban authorities banned female humanitarian workers from non-medical roles, according to the International Organization for Migration&#39;s December emergency border response report. The Taliban-imposed shutdown has left thousands stranded at the border during Afghanistan&#39;s harshest winter months. &quot;Negotiations with authorities at the Herat level is ongoing, with DfA maintaining its stance that non-health female staff cannot work at the IQ Reception Centre at this stage,&quot; IOM reported, halting services for an average of 1,224 people crossing daily. Taliban employment restrictions have created measurable disparities in humanitarian reach. Afghanistan&#39;s Eastern Region, operating with fewer Taliban-imposed constraints, achieved 122% of humanitarian targets. They were able to assist 196,831 people against a goal of 161,774, according to the Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items Cluster&#39;s November snapshot. The Central Region, which includes the shuttered Islam Qala crossing, reached only 37% of targets. This is a 63% shortfall the cluster attributed to operational restrictions. The Central Highland Region, where Taliban authorities imposed severe limitations on humanitarian movement, recorded zero people receiving shelter assistance in November against a target of 8,963 households, according to cluster data. The complete freeze occurred as Afghanistan entered winter, when the cluster documented a 77.5% national gap in winterization assistance. This has left 779,198 people without supplies. &quot;Only 12,200 households received winterization assistance as of December 15, against an assessed need of 57,000 households,&quot; according to the shelter cluster&#39;s winterization dashboard. The 78% gap affecting approximately 400,000 people resulted from &quot;operational restrictions preventing delivery&quot; despite available resources, the dashboard noted. Organizations possess capacity to assist 22,700 households through $21.8 million in available resources, but Taliban-imposed constraints prevent delivery, the dashboard indicates. Only 22% of the $179.1 million emergency shelter requirement has been funded, with donors citing concerns about operating under Taliban restrictions, according to cluster data. Taliban restrictions on women systematically block aid access. Women comprise 51% of all returnees but face layered Taliban-imposed barriers, according to UNHCR&#39;s December 2025 Post-Return Monitoring Survey Report interviewing 1,658 households. &quot;Only 37% of women reported mobile phone access compared to 96% of men,&quot; the UNHCR survey found, a gap that &quot;continues to restrict women&#39;s ability to access information and assistance&quot; due to Taliban restrictions on women&#39;s movement and communication. Taliban employment bans devastated women&#39;s economic survival. &quot;Only 24% of women among returnees reported earning an income, compared to 66% of men,&quot; UNHCR documented. Female-headed households suffered worst: &quot;88% skip meals&quot; versus 82% generally, and &quot;74% of renters are unable to afford costs.&quot; Taliban mahram requirements (mandating male guardians for women&#39;s travel)&nbsp;created healthcare crises. &quot;Women were disproportionately represented among those with unmet care needs, reflecting the impact of movement restrictions and mahram requirements,&quot; with 34% of households unable to obtain needed medical attention, UNHCR reported. The Taliban&#39;s education ban shattered access for girls. &quot;71% of returnee households reported that no girls in the family were enrolled in school,&quot; with 37% citing the ban as the primary barrier, UNHCR found. Among Iran returnees, 44% cited Taliban &quot;policies and laws&quot; as the key obstacle versus 28% among Pakistan returnees. Taliban policies are driving re-displacement. &quot;40% of returnees cited restrictions on women&#39;s education and work as the primary reason&quot; relatives left Afghanistan again after returning, UNHCR&#39;s survey found. &quot;Among those from Iran who intend to leave, 71% reported that they would return to Iran.&quot; The Taliban&#39;s Islam Qala shutdown occurred during peak flows. In Herat&#39;s Western Region, organizations recorded a 100% gap in emergency shelter: zero households helped against a target of 182,040,&nbsp;despite 34,431 returnees from Iran, according to cluster data. Temporal data exposes how Taliban restrictions progressively strangled operations. The Central Highland Region assisted 12,104 people in March but zero by November. The Northern Region dropped 98% (from 24,675 to 385). The Southeastern Region fell 95%,&nbsp;from 7,610 to 407, according to monthly snapshots. Between January and November, 2.7 million Afghans returned to Afghanistan, UNHCR reported. &quot;UNHCR assisted over 475,000 Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan despite significant operational and funding challenges&quot;,&nbsp;reaching only 18% due to Taliban-imposed operational constraints. &quot;Returnees continue to settle in areas with fragile conditions marked by deepening poverty and limited access to essential services,&quot; UNHCR concluded. &quot;Many cannot return to their areas of origin due to lack of shelter, land, or livelihoods&quot;&mdash;outcomes the agencies directly linked to Taliban restrictions preventing humanitarian organizations from operating at documented capacity.

Afghanistan

Taliban restrictions on female aid workers and humanitarian operations have crippled winter assistance for 2.7 million Afghan returnees, leaving 78% without critical support.

Taliban restrictions cripple humanitarian aid as 2.7 million Afghans return to winter crisis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will arrest any deported Afghan national who attempts to re-enter the country illegally, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Monday, as authorities expand a sweeping campaign against undocumented migrants.&nbsp;Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said 1.1 million Afghans have been deported since the crackdown began, including 400,000 sent back through the Torkham crossing by April 2025.&nbsp;Naqvi asserted that &ldquo;all the attacks that have taken place at different places in Pakistan&rdquo; involved Afghan nationals. He said police will begin fresh operations next week to identify and remove Afghans residing in the country without legal status.&nbsp;&ldquo;Whatever data is available, we have to collect it at the SHO level and send the Afghans back,&rdquo; he said, adding that those departing voluntarily &ldquo;should go back with dignity.&rdquo; He warned that Pakistan&rsquo;s improving economic gains &ldquo;cannot withstand more suicide bombings.&rdquo;&nbsp;Visa and travel fraud concernsNaqvi said 50 to 60 passengers are removed daily from airports due to incomplete or fraudulent travel documents, blaming &ldquo;agent mafias&rdquo; for facilitating improper travel. He cited cases including a man holding a driver&rsquo;s visa despite never having driven, and a student whose passport showed an Iranian entry stamp despite never traveling there.&nbsp;He stressed that travelers carrying legitimate visas &ldquo;will face no problems.&rdquo;&nbsp;Crackdown on social media misinformationThe interior minister announced a major campaign targeting online misinformation, saying the Information Ministry and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency would act &ldquo;on a massive scale.&rdquo; He claimed 90% of recent online news was false.&nbsp;&ldquo;If you have evidence, then speak on the basis of it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There is no exemption for those who spread false news&hellip; Do not spread fake news under the guise of freedom of expression.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that individuals abroad spreading false narratives about Pakistan&rsquo;s military leadership &ldquo;will be held accountable.&rdquo;&nbsp;Delay in defense leadership notificationNaqvi also addressed questions about delays in issuing the notification for the newly created chief of defense forces position, attributing it to constitutional requirements.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not that you press a button and it will become part of the Constitution,&rdquo; he said.

Security

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says Pakistan will arrest deported Afghans who return illegally as authorities intensify migrant removals, tighten visa checks and launch a sweeping crackdown on online misinformation.

Pakistan warns illegal Afghan returnees amid intensified crackdown nationwide

Maham Khan

For decades, Pakistan has hosted one of the world&#39;s largest refugee populations, providing sanctuary to millions of Afghans fleeing conflict. But by October 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that Pakistan could no longer sustain this burden, citing security threats and socio-economic challenges. The result: over 1.47 million Afghan nationals repatriated in what Islamabad said is an orderly but necessary response to an escalating crisis.&nbsp; The numbers tell a grim story. Between 2023 and 2025, Pakistan experienced a devastating wave of terrorist attacks with alleged or confirmed links to Afghanistan. In January 2023, a suicide bomber killed 95 people at a Peshawar mosque. In July 2023, an attack on a political rally in Bajaur claimed over 50 lives. By December, 23 soldiers died in a military post attack in Dera Ismail Khan.&nbsp; In 2023, Pakistan&#39;s former Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti stated that 14 of 24 suicide bombings in that year alone&nbsp;involved Afghan nationals. The pattern continued into 2024 and 2025. After seven soldiers were killed in North Waziristan in March 2024, Pakistan&#39;s defense minister declared that terrorism against Pakistan was &quot;mostly being conducted from Afghanistan.&quot; Most recently, in November 2025, a suicide bombing at an Islamabad district court killed 12 people. Pakistani officials stated that the bomber was an Afghan national and the attack was orchestrated from Afghanistan. For Pakistan, these aren&#39;t isolated incidents but evidence of a systemic problem: militant groups, particularly Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), operating from Afghan territory to launch cross-border attacks. Pakistani officials have repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban of preventing its soil from being used by these militant groups. Despite diplomatic assurances to the contrary, the Taliban regime has done little. The diplomatic efforts were genuine but ultimately futile. Throughout 2025, Pakistan engaged in multiple rounds of high-level talks with Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban government, mediated by Qatar and Turkey. In April, Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister visited Kabul. In May, trilateral talks were held in Beijing. When deadly border clashes erupted in October, three separate negotiation rounds were convened in Doha and Istanbul. All failed. Pakistan demanded verifiable action against militant groups; Afghanistan either could not or would not deliver. The humanitarian dimension of this crisis cannot be ignored. According to an International Organization for Migration report in late November,&nbsp;435,279 Afghan nationals returned to Afghanistan between July and September alone. 93% left through self-organized returns, driven overwhelmingly by fear of arrest. The deportees came from areas that had suffered terrorist attacks: 28% from Quetta, 11% from Pishin. In September 2025, a suicide bombing at a political rally in Quetta, near Pishin, was claimed by the ISIS-K. This is the tragic calculus of national security meeting humanitarian obligation. Pakistan has legitimate security concerns. When diplomatic channels fail and attacks continue, a government faces pressure to act decisively. The international community has largely remained silent, treating this as a bilateral issue rather than a regional crisis requiring multilateral solutions. Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban regime has proven unable or unwilling to control militant groups within its borders, leaving Pakistan with few options. Meanwhile, Afghan refugees become pawns in a security crisis not of their making. There are no easy answers here. Pakistan&#39;s security concerns are real and documented. The failure of diplomatic engagement left Islamabad feeling it had exhausted peaceful options. But the mass repatriation of over a million people, many of whom have known only Pakistan as home, raises profound questions about refuge and the limits of hospitality when national security appears threatened. What remains clear is that this crisis demands more than bilateral negotiations that end in deadlock. It requires sustained international engagement, pressure on the Afghan&nbsp;Taliban to deny sanctuary to militant groups, and genuine support for both Pakistan&#39;s security needs and the humanitarian needs of displaced Afghans. Without it, we&#39;re left with what we have now: a tragic situation where everyone loses, and the most vulnerable pay the highest price.

Blogs

When diplomatic channels fail and attacks continue, a government faces pressure to act decisively.

Pakistan's refugee crisis: When security concerns force difficult choices

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has criticized the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, accusing it of acting as a proxy for India and allowing cross-border terror attacks in Pakistan. &ldquo;This war of terrorism has been imposed on Pakistan by India, Afghanistan and the TTP working together. The rulers in Kabul, who used to be under our protection and who once hid on our soil, are now sitting in India&rsquo;s lap and conspiring against Pakistan,&rdquo; Asif wrote on X, formerly Twitter. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1979192853122420827&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=a3f53bc647d1e4e740203278c506b98829f51cc6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 441px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The minister outlined Pakistan&rsquo;s extensive efforts over the past four years to engage Kabul diplomatically and militarily, which, according to him, have been met with betrayal.&nbsp;These included four visits to Kabul by Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister, two joint visits by the defense minister and ISI leadership, and five trips each by the Special Envoy on Afghanistan and senior Foreign Office secretaries. Pakistan&rsquo;s National Security Adviser also visited Kabul once, and eight meetings of the Joint Coordination Committee were held.&nbsp;&ldquo;Along the border, 225 flag meetings took place, while Pakistan issued 836 formal protest notes and delivered 13 demarches to the Afghan authorities,&rdquo; he added. Despite these persistent efforts, Asif said, the situation has only worsened.&nbsp;From 2021 to date, Pakistan has suffered 10,347 acts of terrorism, resulting in the martyrdom of 3,844 individuals, including civilians, soldiers, and law enforcement personnel, he noted.&nbsp;Asif said Pakistan&rsquo;s sacrifices were met not with cooperation but with hostility from the very regime that once found refuge on Pakistani soil.&nbsp;He declared that Pakistan can no longer afford to maintain relations with Kabul as it has in the past. Asif emphasized that the country&rsquo;s patience has run out, and there will be no more appeals for peace or high-level visits to Afghanistan. Instead, Pakistan will respond decisively to any acts of terrorism or cross-border infiltration.&nbsp;&ldquo;Wherever the source of terrorism lies, it will now come at a heavy cost,&rdquo; he warned.&nbsp;Khawaja Asif also stated that all Afghans residing in Pakistan will need to return to their homeland. He pointed out that it has now been five years since what the Taliban calls its &ldquo;Islamic revolution,&rdquo; and that Afghanistan must now take responsibility for its citizens.&nbsp;&ldquo;The land and resources of Pakistan belong to its 250 million people,&rdquo; he said, adding that the time for forced hospitality has come to an end.&nbsp;The minister stressed that Pakistan desires peace with its neighbors, but it will not tolerate hostility or foreign-backed terrorism.&nbsp;&ldquo;Self-respecting nations do not live off the land and resources of others,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If Afghanistan wants to be a neighbor, it must act like one.&rdquo;

Outlines Pakistan’s extensive efforts over the past four years to engage Kabul diplomatically and militarily, efforts that, according to him, have been met with betrayal.

Taliban now acting as India’s proxy, says Khawaja Asif​

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed all federal and provincial authorities to expedite the repatriation of Afghans illegally residing in Pakistan, citing security concerns and recent cross-border attacks from Afghan soil. According to a statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, Sharif chaired a high-level meeting attended by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, and provincial representatives to review the situation along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border and ongoing repatriation efforts. &ldquo;Pakistan has helped Afghanistan in every difficult time,&rdquo; the prime minister said. &ldquo;But recent terrorist attacks from Afghan soil and the involvement of Afghans in these attacks are deeply worrying.&rdquo; Sharif noted that Pakistan had &ldquo;suffered thousands of precious lives and billions of dollars in the war on terror,&rdquo; stressing that the country &ldquo;can no longer bear the burden of Afghan refugees.&rdquo; Border clashes and security concernsHostilities erupted on the night of October 11&ndash;12, when Taliban fighters, reportedly supported by an India-backed group, launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani forces along the border. The clashes intensified late Saturday, resulting in 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred, while around 200 Taliban and allied militants were killed in retaliatory action, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Sharif commended the Pakistan Armed Forces for &ldquo;responding in a befitting manner&rdquo; under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir. Repatriation efforts intensifiedOfficials briefed the meeting that 1,477,592 Afghans had already been repatriated as part of the ongoing phased process. Only Afghans holding valid Pakistani visas will be permitted to remain in the country. Authorities said additional exit points are being opened on the Afghan border to speed up departures and ensure a smoother process. Shelter providers assisting illegal residents are being identified and prosecuted, officials added. The prime minister instructed that &ldquo;the elderly, women, children, and minorities should be treated with respect and dignity during the repatriation process.&rdquo; The forum decided to strictly enforce all recommendations and ensure full coordination among provinces for the early completion of the repatriation campaign.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs high-level meeting on repatriation of Afghan refugees in Islamabad. (PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif orders an accelerated repatriation of illegal Afghan residents amid renewed border tensions and recent militant attacks from Afghan territory, while praising Pakistan’s forces for a robust response under Field Marshal Asim Munir’s leadership.

Pakistan PM orders swift repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is continuing with its policy to deport undocumented Afghan refugees while Afghanistan reels from a deadly earthquake that killed 2,200 people. Thousands of Afghans have returned to Afghanistan in recent days after the disaster, while the United Nations urged Pakistan to halt deportation given the humanitarian emergency. Pakistan maintained its stance that it will return any Afghan without valid documentation. &ldquo;We decide who stays in our country&rdquo;, said the Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan. &ldquo;Any people without documentation should leave. This is what Pakistan is doing, like other countries including in Europe&rdquo;.&nbsp; Since late 2023, Pakistan implemented a phase repatriation plan for Afghan nationals without legal status. Over 1.2 million Afghan have returned to their homeland under this policy, including more than 443,000 earlier this year.&nbsp; The latest phase focuses on deporting Afghan refugees holding UN-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, who were given a deadline of September 1 to leave or face deportation. Pakistan has linked the policy to increased cross-border militant activity and says it is addressing security concerns while managing its own humanitarian crisis, including floods that have displaced millions. Devastation from Afghan earthquake&nbsp;A powerful 6 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, killing more than 2,200 people. It flattened villages and destroyed about 8,000 homes, mostly in Kunar province. Rescue efforts have been hindered by difficult terrain, landslides, and blocked roads. Several strong aftershocks caused further damage. The disaster has left tens of thousands homeless, with emergency shelters set up to provide basic aid. Heavy pre-quake rains worsened conditions by increasing the risk of landslides. The earthquake is among the deadliest in Afghanistan&rsquo;s recent history, striking a region with poor construction standards and regular seismic activity. Humanitarian response faces challenges due to limited funding and logistical difficulties. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Pakistan decides who stays, undocumented Afghans must leave, says FO spokesperson.

Articles tagged with "Afghan refugees in Pakistan"

Taliban restrictions cripple humanitarian aid as 2.7 million Afghans return to winter crisis

Pakistan warns illegal Afghan returnees amid intensified crackdown nationwide

Pakistan's refugee crisis: When security concerns force difficult choices

Taliban now acting as India’s proxy, says Khawaja Asif

Pakistan PM orders swift repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals

Pakistan maintains Afghan repatriation policy amidst earthquake crisis

Articles tagged with "Afghan refugees in Pakistan"

Taliban restrictions cripple humanitarian aid as 2.7 million Afghans return to winter crisis

Pakistan warns illegal Afghan returnees amid intensified crackdown nationwide

Pakistan's refugee crisis: When security concerns force difficult choices

Taliban now acting as India’s proxy, says Khawaja Asif​

Pakistan PM orders swift repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals

Pakistan maintains Afghan repatriation policy amidst earthquake crisis

Taliban now acting as India’s proxy, says Khawaja Asif