Pakistan is reportedly planning to send back more than 1.1 million Afghan refugees, a decision that has been approved by the interim federal government.

While official confirmation is pending, it is believed that this move is related to refugees who lack the necessary documents, like visas, to stay in the country and may have been involved in criminal or anti-state activities. The decision to repatriate these refugees comes amid simmering tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and concerns about the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, which Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban to address.

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For decades, Pakistan has been a refuge for Afghan refugees, with a peak population of five million at one point. Currently, an estimated four million Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan, but only a fraction have valid refugee cards.

This decision is expected to draw responses from the Afghan Taliban government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which typically opposes forced refugee returns.