Impacts of irregular movements on Pak-Afghan border on terrorism

Sajid Anwar Wardak

Recently Pakistan has been strongly concerned about irregular migrations, particularly when it takes the form of migrant smuggling and human trafficking, as well as related criminal activities including money laundering, passport fraud, terrorism, extortion, and corruption.

Pakistan has been accommodating 1.4 million registered refugees since 1980s which is 5th most refugee population hosted by a single country in the world. Most of these refugees are settled in the Northwestern city of Peshawar which is roughly 176 miles away from Kabul. These 1.4 million registered refugees are coupled with another 500,000 undocumented foreign migrants who have sought refuge in Pakistan.

If these undocumented people are considered, it would make Pakistan the 3rd country in international ranking for hosting most refugees. Majority of the refugees/asylum seekers in Pakistan belong to Afghanistan. Documented refugees hold a POR(Proof of Registration) Card which happens to be a legal document that entitles them to stay in Pakistan with a freedom of mobility.

Bordering area of Afghanistan and Pakistan is inhabited by tribal people who have historically been interacting with each other since ages. These close ties across the border helped make the refuge easy for the people of southern and eastern Afghanistan. A survey was done by IOM called “Return Intention Survey (RIS) 2018” which found that out of the total of employed Afghan Refugees, 38% were common labors.

In contrast, 17% were indulged in entrepreneurial ventures with their own businesses. Skilled workers comprised 14% of the total while 8% drove rikshaws/taxis. Another 7% worked as laborers in the agriculture sector.

Repatriation of refugees has been done simultaneously by the Government of Pakistan. Since 2003, the GOP has repatriated approximately 4.3 million Afghan Refugees from Pakistan. At the same time Pakistan, especially KP is facing an increasing number of crimes and terrorism. Terrorist attacks increased by 27% in 2022 compared to 2021, and the lethality increased, as seen by the Peshawar suicide bombing at the Police Lines Mosque. Because of that assault, Pakistan experienced one of its deadliest months ever in January 2023, with 134 fatalities and 254 injuries reported from at least 44 terrorist-related attacks.

In Peshawar, the cases of killing, theft, extortion, drug abuse, extraction of organs from the bodies of children, missing vehicles, and street snatching are increased strangely. Accordingly, to the reports and investigations of securities agencies in most of these activities, the illegal Afghan migrants, who carry no record were involved. The reports witnessed that around 5 million US dollars were smuggled to Afghanistan every day, and this has continued to drain Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves. If this problem is not addressed and controlled properly now, it can put Peshawar into terrible trouble shortly.

Another research in 2020 by Jahan Mulk concluded that the migration of Afghan refugees into KP has serious effects on Pakistan’s internal security as well as social, political, economic, environmental, and ecological difficulties. The refugee population has made the law-and-order situation worse and has raised the crime rate in KP. The analysis makes it quite evident that the immigrants are exclusively to blame for encouraging the Kalashnikov culture, drug trafficking, and other crimes in KP. Due to the influx of Afghan migrants, crime is on the rise throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 35 districts, not only in Peshawar.

To put a stop to murders, thefts, and kidnappings for ransom, the state must impose restrictions on their freedom of movement; many of them have criminal records. A surprising and tragic accident occurred in Peshawar when Hasan Tariq, a student at Edward College, was attacked by bandits in broad daylight. Afghani was the murderer, according to the police. Hundreds of security persons have been also targeted and killed in Peshawar by the terrorists. This year 3,911 Afghans were connected in various crimes in K-P.

According to the K-P police commander, 75% of the suicide attacks in the province were carried out by Afghan nationals but in most of these attacks and crimes investigations could not move forward much because the attackers slipped away to Afghanistan. These illegal movements are not only limited to terrorism attacks but also a source of illegal transportation of goods across borders.

To control these means a direct increase in taxes and can block drug and currency smuggling, street crimes, kidnapping, and robberies. Crimes and terrorism could be minimized, which is a very positive sign to develop peace, stability, and foreign investment. The common citizen can take a breath of comfort.