Dollars Kai Liyay Afghani Ban-nay Walay Pakistani Shikanjay Mein Kaisay Aaey? Thousands of people in Pakistan are facing serious legal and identity challenges after previously registering as Afghan refugees.- UKJNews

 

 

Thousands of people in Pakistan are facing serious legal and identity challenges after previously registering as Afghan refugees. According to official records, more than 26,000 individuals have applied to cancel their Afghan refugee status and restore their Pakistani identity. Many claim they are genuine Pakistani citizens who obtained Afghan refugee cards years ago due to financial incentives, resettlement opportunities, or family connections across the border.

 

Some Pakistanis exploited the system by registering as Afghans to access international aid, UNHCR support, and other benefits. Recent deportation policies have exposed and complicated this exploitation, turning refugee status into a political and administrative tool. 

 

Historical Context: Genuine Refugee Hosting and Early Exploitation 

 

As the fact now well known that Pakistan was  front line state of Anglo-American world agenda and the sore revolution in Afghanistan means that communist party will take over Pakistan, started terrorism as tool to stop the communist in Afghanistan. Terrorism forced people to flee either toward Kabul city of toward Pakistan in 1980s, and short pace of time it surge to  hosting 3+ million Afghans with UNHCR and Western support as the Pakistan become the Cold War proxy conflict against the Soviets. Refugees received aid, camp shelter, education, and health services. Many integrated into local economies, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, working in informal sectors, trade, and transport. 

 

Over time, as international funding waned and Pakistan faced its own economic/security strains, some locals saw opportunities in the refugee system. Afghan refugee registration (via Proof of Registration or PoR cards, or earlier mechanisms) offered access to:

•  Cash/food aid from UNHCR and donors. 

• Resettlement or relocation perks. 

• Easier cross-border movement or business advantages in grey economies (informal trade, smuggling networks). 

 

• Political leverage, as refugee numbers bolstered Pakistan's international image and bargaining power.   

 

By 2025–2026, hundreds of thousands to over a million Afghans returned (many under duress), including detentions, raids, property seizures, and harassment. This violated non-refoulement principles in many cases, as returns to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan exposed people (especially women, former officials, minorities) to persecution.

 

How Exploitation Backfired: Pakistanis Trapped in "Afghan" Status 

 

The deportation push created chaos for fake registrants. Over 26,000 people have applied to cancel Afghan refugee status and reclaim Pakistani citizenship, per reports tied to the video. 

 

Why they registered originally:  

• Financial incentives: Aid payments ("dollars") during peak UNHCR programs.
• Family/cross-border ties: Easier movement or dual benefits.
• Opportunism: In border regions, blurred identities allowed claiming refugee perks while living as Pakistanis.

 

Current problems:

 

Identity crisis: NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) faces verification challenges. Many lack clear Pakistani records or have Afghan cards complicating citizenship claims.

Legal battles: Courts handle petitions; families risk losing homes, businesses, or facing deportation alongside genuine refugees.

Administrative burden: Government policies now scrutinize "Afghan" status strictly, exposing past fraud. Some genuine Pakistanis fear harassment or loss of rights.

Broader impact: Fuels discrimination, extortion by police, and social tensions. It highlights how refugee policies were loosely managed for decades, enabling abuse on both sides.

 

This situation exemplifies state exploitation of refugee narratives for geopolitical gain while ignoring (or benefiting from) systemic fraud. Genuine refugees suffered most—facing unsafe returns—while opportunists and the state created long-term identity, legal, and humanitarian messes. Pakistan's approach prioritizes short-term leverage over durable solutions, straining relations with Afghanistan, UNHCR, and human rights norms. 

 

This situation exemplifies state exploitation of refugee narratives for geopolitical gain while ignoring (or benefiting from) systemic fraud. Genuine refugees suffered most—facing unsafe returns—while opportunists and the state created long-term identity, legal, and humanitarian messes. Pakistan's approach prioritizes short-term leverage over durable solutions, straining relations with Afghanistan, UNHCR, and human rights norms.

 

In summary, Afghan refugees' plight has been weaponized politically by Pakistan to pressure every government in Kabul from Noor Muhammad Taraki to Dr. Najib who were forming Afghan society to Terrorist Taliban, US twentry years in Afghanistan and now again the Taliban installed in Kabul by US-Pakistan but Pakistan is falling out with its own terror machine in Kabul but the people of Afghanistan particualr poor and women are suffering.This has deepened suffering for millions without resolving underlying security, cultural, national or regional issues.