Pakistan’s Samaa TV, citing data collected by Punjab’s security organizations, has reported that 6,308 Afghan female refugees are living in this province.
According to the report, out of this number, 1,828 Afghan women are without valid residency documents.
Samaa TV has noted that the highest concentration of Afghan female migrants has been recorded in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala.
Furthermore, it is stated that approximately 720 undocumented Afghan women have been identified in Rawalpindi.
The television station reported that Punjab’s security agencies have compiled accurate records including the location, age, and legal status of Afghan women residing in the province.
The data indicates that 3,398 Afghan women with “Afghan citizenship cards” are living in Gujranwala. According to the data, there are 294 Afghan women holding citizenship cards in Lahore, while another 429 undocumented women have been identified.
Additionally, it has been mentioned that 1,915 girls under the age of 18, 2,987 women between the ages of 18 and 35, 921 women between 35 and 50 years old, and 458 other Afghan women over the age of 50 are living in Punjab.
Samaa TV has reported that this data is being released at a time when the expulsion of holders of “Afghan citizenship cards” in Pakistan is continuing sharply, and various organizations remain concerned about the potential risks for these individuals, especially women, in Afghanistan.
UN experts have identified Afghan women and girls as one of the most vulnerable groups of Afghan migrants in Pakistan.
It is worth mentioning that following the takeover of Afghanistan by the caretaker government, protesting women, activists, female journalists, and other at-risk women have fled the country and sought refuge in countries like Pakistan and Iran, where their expulsion could pose serious threats to their security and rights.
