Thousands of returning Afghan refugees are stranded in various parts of Pakistan due to the border closure. They say they are facing difficulties due to the lack of clean drinking water, food, and medical services.
The Afghan Embassy under the Taliban government in Islamabad has expressed deep concern over the plight of these refugees. Thousands of Afghan refugees who wanted to return to Afghanistan from Pakistan are stranded in various areas due to the border closure between the two countries. These refugees have been waiting for days without access to basic services and shelter, in harsh conditions, for the roads to open.
Asad, an Afghan refugee who was evicted from Sialkot city in Pakistan’s Punjab province and has been stranded on the road for six days in Zakhil, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We’re facing a lot of difficulties here in Zakhil, there’s no water and no shelter. All our children are sick, one has a cough, another has fever. There are no facilities, no water, and no toilets for women. Everyone is stuck in the field. We just want the road to be opened so we can return to Afghanistan safely,” he said.
Mohammad Akbar, another Afghan refugee who was also evicted from Punjab province and has been stranded in this area for about 15 days without shelter, told Azadi Radio: “We’re stuck here, neither the road is opening for us nor are there any facilities. There’s no food, nothing. We don’t know what to do. These Muslims are stuck under the open sky. At night, in this cold weather, there’s no bed and no shelter. We’ve lost some of our belongings and brought some with us.”
These refugees say that some of their family members have been arrested by the police and are being held captive. Not just in Zakhil, but thousands of Afghan refugees in other areas are also waiting for the border to open without shelter.
Sardar Wali, an Afghan trader who is voluntarily helping the refugees with water and food. Some refugees are standing near the Zakhil (PCM) center, some are waiting in Peshawar, and some are on the Torkham route, in the Jamrud area. All of them are poor and helpless people who can’t even afford transportation. Some are in shops, some have unloaded their belongings from vehicles and put up curtains on the road; women are also there.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Embassy under Taliban control in Islamabad has expressed concern over the situation of Afghan refugees, stating that the continued border closure and arrest and eviction of refugees will create a massive humanitarian crisis.
In a video message released by the embassy on its X page on Thursday, October 30, the acting head of the Afghan Embassy under Taliban control in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakib, said that around 400 trucks carrying refugees and their belongings are stuck between Jamrud and Torkham.
He added that these refugees include women, children, elderly, and patients. According to him, these people are facing difficulties due to the cold weather, lack of shelter, and shortage of water, food, and medicine.
He also stated that in the past 3-4 days, reports have been received of the deaths of three children and one woman. The Afghan Embassy under Taliban control in Islamabad has urged the Pakistani government to immediately open all routes to Afghanistan and to temporarily halt the deportation process of refugees until then.
Although the deportation of undocumented refugees from Pakistan began in 2023, the rate of arrests of Afghan asylum seekers in Pakistan has increased unprecedentedly after the October 11 clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces along the Durand Line. Since October 11, all border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been closed to trade, transit, and people movement.
The border closure has not only caused problems for refugees trying to return to Afghanistan, but has also affected trade between the two countries, causing losses for businessmen.
