Afghan Humanitarian Crisis Escalates As Pakistan Orders Shutdown Of Refugee Camps In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Last Updated:October 14, 2025, 23:08 IST

Ordering the shutdown of 10 camps in seven cities, the Pakistani government has directed the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to instruct all Afghan refugees to repatriate

Afghan refugees sit next to their belongings loaded onto vehicles as they wait for the reopening of the border crossing point, which closed after Afghan and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire, at a camp in Pakistan's Chaman on October 12. (Image: AP)

The humanitarian crisis for Afghans in Pakistan has escalated after the government ordered the shutdown of at least 10 refugee camps in seven cities of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

This decision comes in response to the rising tensions between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban amid border clashes.

According to sources, the Pakistani government has directed the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to instruct all refugees to repatriate. Camps in DI Khan, Charsadda, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Marwat, Malakand, and Peshawar have to be closed as soon as possible, the sources said.

The sources said Pakistan has made a significant decision to send all Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. Only a few days ago, Pakistan’s state minister Talal Chaudhry instructed citizens not to cooperate with Afghan refugees and refuse them housing and shops on rent, they said. 

On Monday (October 13), Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said there are currently “no ties" between Islamabad and Kabul following Afghanistan’s unprovoked attack on the Pak-Afghan border over the weekend, Dawn reported. Speaking on Geo News, he said, “It’s a stalemate right now. You can say there are no active hostilities, but the environment is hostile. There are no ties, direct or indirect, as of today."

Asif said hostilities between the two countries could resume “at any time", adding that “we cannot lower our guard". When asked about the possibility of negotiations, he said dialogue under threats was not acceptable.

“If Afghanistan wants negotiations while threatening Pakistan at the same time, then they should act on their threats and we’ll negotiate after," he was quoted.

He defended Pakistan’s military response, stating, “This is a natural thing. If you are attacked, you instantly have the right to react and target wherever the attack is originating from. We did not target populated areas, we did not target civilians, we targeted their hideouts."

The minister accused Afghanistan of sheltering multiple terrorist organisations. “The world knows that there is a conglomerate of international terrorism in Afghanistan, where ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are active. They are all under Kabul’s umbrella," he was quoted.

He stressed the need for sincerity in diplomatic efforts. “The offer was there. I think there needs to be honesty in diplomacy – it’s not there 100 percent of the time, but if there is some, it would improve the matter and pave the way to resolution," he said.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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