Islamabad( The COW News Digital) The federal government of Pakistan has decided to shut down five Afghan refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marking the end of an era for some of the country’s oldest refugee settlements. The decision comes after the repatriation of thousands of Afghan refugees in recent months, signaling a major policy shift toward phasing out long-standing camps.
According to an official notification issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the lands occupied by these camps will be handed over to the provincial government and the respective deputy commissioners. Three of the camps were located in Haripur district, one in Chitral, and another in Upper Dir.
The most notable of these closures is the Panian camp in Haripur, one of the largest and oldest Afghan refugee settlements in Pakistan, where over 100,000 refugees had been living for decades. Established during the early years of the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s, Panian became a symbol of Pakistan’s role as a host country for millions of Afghans fleeing conflict.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that a majority of Afghan refugees still reside in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with some families now in their third or even fourth generation in Pakistan.
The decision to close the camps has sparked debate among political leaders in the province. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has previously voiced opposition to the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees, urging the federal government to adopt a more humanitarian approach. Similarly, the provincial information advisor had called for an immediate halt to the repatriation process earlier this week.
Human rights organizations have also expressed concerns about the impact of the closures on vulnerable refugee families, particularly women and children. Critics argue that many refugees face insecurity and economic hardship in Afghanistan, making their return risky.
Supporters of the decision, however, argue that the prolonged presence of refugee camps has strained local resources, contributed to security concerns, and hindered development in the host areas. They claim that the repatriation process will help normalize law and order and free up valuable land for local use.
The federal government maintains that the decision is in line with international agreements and that the process will be implemented in phases to ensure a smooth transition.
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