The war is over in Afghanistan that lasted for almost two decades, but its aftershocks are felt yet. There is no visible change for the people of Afghanistan and the region as well. Wars and conflicts worst hit the population.
It is a long journey to revive life in the war-torn country. There is no letup in the worries of Afghans as hundreds of thousands have, either left, or on run. No doubt, there is a decline in violence when the US led NATO troops left the country. Afghanistan has witnessed worst-case scenario since the Russian invasion, followed by the civil war among the mujhideen turned warlords, and then the post 9/11 international war on terror. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives, millions fled to the neighboring countries for survival. A sizable portion of the Afghan population was made as refugees, and there is no visible end to the worries in the near future.
The much-publicized Peace Agreement signed between the Taliban and the US Doha, Qatar, was seen as ray of hope to have lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, but the partial implementation on the peace deal left many questions unanswered. The Taliban took over Kabul, and is not in a mood to accommodate the political rivals in the present interim or future political setup that pose a threat to the future of the country.
The Taliban government has not been recognized by the international community as yet, and the world is not in a hurry to legitimize it. There is a sense of fears in the minds of everyone. A major segment of the population lives under the poverty line, facing extreme humanitarian crisis.
Some reports revealed nearly 700,000 Afghans crossed into Pakistan since 2021. Pakistan has been hosting millions of the Afghan refugees for decades. This new influx could further add to the woes of Pakistan.
The number of Afghan refugees rose to approximately 3.7 million as per the latest reports. There are 1.33 million as registered Afghan refugees, and the rest are unregistered putting pressure on the already under stress Pakistani resources.
Pakistan is hosting almost half of the total Afghan refugees in the region and the influx has been continuing. Apart from trade, thousands of Afghans have been crossing into Pakistan on medical grounds. Many Afghans have been using Pakistan as transit to move to the US, Europe, and other countries. Some of them are waiting for their visas for months, and are living in difficult circumstances.
Pakistan is facing criticism from the human rights groups when it acts against the Afghans, living without proper legal documents or registration. According to the Afghan government, some 2600 Afghans illegally entered into Pakistan or who have no legal documents were arrested and deported to Afghanistan. Some of the Afghans have left Afghanistan since the Taliban took over in 2021, fearing the Taliban wrath. As there is ban on the girls’ education and women jobs, many fled to Pakistan to continue their studies and earn their livelihood.
With the rising number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the security forces have been claiming that some of the Afghans in the disguise of the refugees are involved in the terrorist activities. There are reports that the Afghans have been involved in smuggling, illegal trade, and drugs.
A nationwide campaign was launched recently against the unregistered and undocumented Afghans, hundreds of Afghans were arrested in different cities of Pakistan.
The bilateral relations were at lowest following the cross-border attack by terrorists at two Pakistani border checkpoints and armed clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani border forces on September 6 that resulted into the suspension of the main gate at the Torkham crossing point. The border remained completely closed for all kinds of cross-border movements.
The Taliban and Pakistani senior officials discussed the issues and agreed to resolve them politically. Pakistan asked the Taliban to keep its words of not using its land against Pakistan, and immediate steps should be taken to stop cross border attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan has provided evidences with the Kabul about the involvement of some Afghans in the terrorist attacks. In a terrorist attack on an FC compound in Zhob Balochistan, investigations revealed that 3 Afghans were involved.
The issue of Afghan refugees was also deliberated and agreed upon not to harass Afghans with legal documents. Islamabad directed police to avoid arresting Afghans with legal documents. Pakistan has launched voluntarily repatriation program with the support of UNHCR, but that could not yield any results as many returned back to Pakistan due to the poor security scenario. It is a huge task to repatriate the refugees to Afghanistan as it is conditional to stability and peace. Pakistan has directly affected by the violence in Afghanistan as both the countries have been sharing a longest border. Anything happens well or bad has its implications for others.
Following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, refugee’s camps were established for Afghans in the late 1970s across the country. Hundreds of thousands fled to Pakistan and were living in the camps, however, they spread over the country with the passage of time.
There is a policy to register the refugees and issue them the Afghan Citizen Cards, and Proof of Residence or PoRs to have legal documents to stay here and share the infrastructure and have access to the services in Pakistan.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are closely interconnected despite having some political differences that they could not be pulled apart. Afghanistan is a landlocked country and has been using Pakistani land for its transit trade.
Pakistan is looking for exporting goods to the Central Asian Countries through Afghan land route. However, Pakistan could be benefitted when there is peace, security and political stability in Afghanistan.
Pakistan is presently facing economic and political challenges. Islamabad expected to have stable and peaceful Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the foreign troops, but it could not help, rather an increase in the challenges.
