Pakistan’s Afghan Refugee Crackdown: A Crisis of Compassion or Calculated Pressure?

Pakistan is on the verge of deciding whether to extend the deadline for 1.4 million Afghan refugees legally residing within its borders to return home, a move that has sparked widespread concern among human rights advocates and international observers. Originally set to end on June 30, this deadline emerged from a broader government campaign in 2023 targeting millions of Afghans—many escaping decades of conflict and poverty in their homeland. While government officials anonymously suggest that an extension would allow refugees time to wrap up personal affairs before returning "in an orderly and dignified way," the reality confronts us with far...