PESHAWAR, Pakistan, April 16 – Afghanistan has completed preparations for the repatriation of its citizens residing in Pakistan, a senior Afghan diplomat said on Wednesday, with a special commission established to facilitate the process.
“We have no complaints against Pakistan, which extended full cooperation to refugees here. However, one’s own country is always dearest,” Afghan Consul General in Peshawar Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir told a press conference. “The Afghan leadership stands with its people.”
Shakir said camps had been set up to receive returning Afghans, equipped with essential facilities to ensure a smooth transition. He expressed gratitude to Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades, allowing them access to education, business, and employment opportunities.
The repatriation drive comes amid growing calls from Islamabad for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Authorities say more than 76,000 Afghan nationals have already returned under the initiative.
Shakir urged remaining Afghan refugees to begin preparations for their return, citing improved conditions in Afghanistan following the end of foreign military presence and what he described as a new era of peace and stability.
“There is no shortage of water or land in Afghanistan,” he said. During the briefing, a group of Afghan elders appealed for an extension in the repatriation timeline, saying it was difficult to dismantle decades-old businesses in a short period. The diplomat declined to comment on the request.
Responding to questions about restrictions on women’s education in Afghanistan, Shakir said there was no ban but that the education system was under review. “Islam encourages education,” he said, adding that separate institutions would be created for women to ensure a “safe environment.”
Pakistan hosts around 1.7 million registered Afghan refugees, with hundreds of thousands more believed to be undocumented. Many fled decades ago during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, while others left following more recent instability.
