6,304 Afghan Nationals Returned in Six Days as Provinces Submit Fresh Report
Fresh data submitted to the Interior Ministry says 6,304 Afghan nationals were returned during the first six days of October, following 36,600 in September, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest number of returns during the past two months.
ISLAMABAD: The four provincial governments and authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have submitted their latest data to the Ministry of Interior regarding the return of Afghan nationals covered by the federal government’s ongoing repatriation policy, according to a fresh official report.
6,304 Afghan Nationals Returned in October
The report states that 6,304 Afghan nationals were returned during the first six days of October 2026, indicating that the nationwide repatriation process remains active across different regions of the country.
During September 2026, 36,600 Afghan nationals were returned, according to the same report. Based on those figures, September recorded an average of around 1,220 returns per day, while the first six days of October averaged just over 1,050 per day. The shorter October reporting period, however, means the two figures should not be treated as a final month-to-month comparison.
According to the report submitted to the Interior Ministry, the cumulative number of Afghan nationals returned from Pakistan since 2023 has reached 2,782,500.
KP Records Highest Number of Returns
Provincial data for the past two months places Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the top in terms of the number of Afghan nationals returned, followed by Balochistan in second place and Punjab in third. The summary available did not provide individual provincial totals for each of the three provinces.
The latest reporting mechanism also places greater emphasis on digital monitoring and record-keeping. Chief commissioners and deputy commissioners have been directed to provide geo-tagging data alongside administrative information relating to the repatriation process.
The data is being compiled at the federal level in Islamabad as the Interior Ministry continues to receive updated information from provincial and regional administrations.
Figures Cover Policy-Specific Categories
The figures relate specifically to Afghan nationals falling within categories covered by the government’s return and repatriation policy. They should not be interpreted as applying to every Afghan national residing in Pakistan, as immigration and documentation status can differ between individuals and categories.
Separate international datasets also use different classifications for registered refugees, voluntary returns and other forms of return, making direct comparisons between government and international figures difficult without examining the methodology and legal categories used by each source.
