Hundreds of Pakistani citizens remain stranded in Afghanistan, awaiting the reopening of the land border that has been closed for over three months. University students, traders, and families are among those unable to return home since the border closure on October 12th. Mediation efforts have so far failed to produce a lasting resolution, with both sides reportedly warning of potential renewed clashes.
Concerns are mounting among Pakistani nationals regarding the validity of their visas and their financial situations. Alternative routes, such as air travel, have seen a significant surge in prices, while the option of illegal crossings poses considerable risks.
Shah Faisal, a 25-year-old medical student in Afghanistan, expressed his longing to visit his family in Pakistan during the winter break. “We miss our parents and relatives,” he stated. Shah Fahd Amjad, 22, also studying medicine in Jalalabad, appealed to both countries to facilitate the return of students to their families. Barkatullah Wazir, 23, a student in Jalalabad, highlighted the difficulties the crisis has created for both Pakistani students in Afghanistan and Afghan students in Pakistan.
Reports suggest that between 500 and 600 Pakistani students studying at universities in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province alone are affected, unable to return to their home country and families.
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that approximately 1200 individuals have approached its embassy in Kabul seeking assistance to return home, including 549 students. The ministry reported that just over 300 people had returned by air by the end of December.
The land border between Pakistan and Afghanistan was closed following border clashes that resulted in casualties. Pakistan has also implemented measures to expel Afghan families, refugees, and migrants from its territory. The Durand Line, the border between the two countries, stretches over 2600 kilometers through mountainous terrain, inhabited by Pakistani and Afghan families, primarily from Pashtun communities.
