However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur begs to differ. Gandapur has proposed granting permanent residence to Afghan refugees in Pakistan at a time when terrorism is at its peak in K-P, with frequent attacks targeting the security forces and the police. Local authorities have claimed that 70 per cent of terrorist activities in the country are orchestrated from Afghan soil.
Since the past five decades, Afghan refugees have been living in Pakistan thanks to the long and porous border. Currently, there are approximately 2.1 million registered Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, out of which 1.3 million possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, allowing them temporary legal status. Afghan migrants are concentrated in K-P, where 52 per cent of the total Afghan refugee population resides. Every day, over 2,000 Afghan migrants and 500 to 1,000 freight trucks cross the Torkham border.
In recent times however, security concerns regarding Afghan refugees have been heightened due to incidents of terrorism. As per the claims of Pakistani security agencies, the Jaffar Express hijacking, which resulted in the deaths of several innocent civilians, was planned in Afghanistan.
Former Chairman of the International Relations Department at the University of Peshawar, Professor Dr. Muhammad Ijaz Khan expressed his skepticism over the Chief Minister’s statement. Speaking to The Express Tribune, he noted that the province was already grappling with an uncertain security situation and a surge in terrorism.
“The government should first focus on eradicating terrorism and establishing peace before making such long-term commitments. Additionally, there are thousands of out-of-school children in K-P who need education. The provincial government has spent the last two years solely focused on securing the release of their party leader. What concrete steps have they taken to improve the lives of people in K-P? Have they created job opportunities for the youth? Instead, they have worsened the situation by increasing unemployment and dismissing people from their jobs,” remarked Dr. Ijaz, who further emphasized that if the Chief Minister genuinely wanted to serve the province, stabilizing security, improving education, and strengthening the healthcare system should have been his priority.
Conversely, Advocate Tariq Afghan argued that Pakistan should implement strict visa regulations for Afghan nationals, similar to the immigration policies enforced by other countries for refugees. “Countries all over the world have structured visa policies for refugees, ensuring that their presence benefits the host nation. If Pakistan enforces strict visa laws for Afghan migrants, it could significantly contribute to the national economy,” he suggested.
On the other hand, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi criticized the chief minister’s statement, calling it “absurd.” Kundi asserted that granting citizenship was a decision made at the state level, not by the provincial government.
“The current security crisis in Pakistan is deeply linked to Afghanistan. Seventy per cent of recent terrorist activities in Pakistan have been planned on Afghan soil. Furthermore, NATO’s abandoned weapons in Afghanistan, worth eight to 10 billion USD, are now being used against Pakistan. In the past, PTI even offered to open a Taliban office in Pakistan. Given their history, such statements from them are not surprising,” he concluded.