Pakistan delays Afghan deportations until next week after deadline expires

Pakistan says it will begin deporting hundreds of thousands of Afghans next week after a deadline for them to leave the country expired on Monday.
Afghans make up the largest group of migrants in Pakistan, but the government says many are there illegally.
Over the past two years, between September 2023 and February 2025, a systemic government crackdown on Afghan nationals has resulted in the expulsion of nearly 876,000 Afghans from Pakistan, including women and children.
Pakistan currently hosts more than 2.5 million Afghans, according to government estimates.
Among them, about 1.3 million possess a Proof of Registration (PoR) card, first introduced in 2006 and issued by the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, while another 800,000 hold an ACC, issued in 2017. These documents were previously recognised as proof of legitimate residence in Pakistan.
Not any more.

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder is at Torkham Border Crossing, one of the main crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Hassan Khan is a Pakistan political affairs analyst. He joins live from the capital, Islamabad, to discuss the latest developments.