ISLAMABAD, Sep 24 (DNA): Out of total 3.7 million Afghans living in
Pakistan, only over 1.3 million are registered, while 775,000 are still
to be registered.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee’s (UNHCR)
statistics compiled up to June 2023, 68 per cent Afghan migrants are
living in Pakistan’s urban and semi-urban areas while the remaining 32
per cent are settled in villages and tribal areas.

Out of total 3.7 million, 700,000 Afghan nationals are settled in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP); 300,000 in Balochistan; close to 200,000 in Punjab,
73,000 in Sindh, 41,000 in Islamabad and over 4,000 in Azad Jammu and
Kashmir (AJK).

The Afghans, living in Pakistan illegally, are involved in the smuggling
of narcotics and other prohibited items.

If we look at history, we find out that Pakistan suffered immensely by
letting the Afghans in since it was after their arrival that Pakistani
markets were flooded with foreign products.

The Afghans benefitted a lot from that as their businesses flourished.
But they refused to pay taxes, which badly affected the country’s
economy. DNA