Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has extended the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees living in the country to March 31, 2017, but Afghan students studying in Pakistan see their future at risk as there was no mention regarding their future.

Nazim Khan, a 22-year-old Afghan student at a private institute in Peshawar, opines that he would have to give up his education as his family had already decided to leave Pakistan and shift to Afghanistan.

He was of the view that situation for Afghans is no more welcoming in Pakistan. “By birth I am a Pakistani. Despite the fact that I have not been issued any Identity Card but I feel close to Pakistan than Afghanistan. I have not been to my country of origin even once”, Afghan student said.

However, he added, “I have been to every nook and corner of my country of birth, Pakistan. My class fellows and friends are all from here. I get frightened with the thought of leaving Pakistan for Afghanistan,” said the young Afghan. Nazim said he also sees his educational career in limbo as he has no idea how and where from he would restart his education. “Education system is good in Pakistan as two of my brothers have already gotten MBA degrees from an institute in Peshawar and now serve at a bank”, he added.

After Government decision to send back Afghan refugees to their country of origin, this is not only Afghan students who affected but Afghans educational institutes too got a severe blow. Majority of them have either closed down in Peshawar or are in the process of closing. As many as 25 educational institutions have been closed down in Peshawar and surrounding districts. People associated with Afghan schools fear that in the coming days more Afghan education institutions will close down.

Heads of these educational institutions say that academic year usually starts in September at these schools but parents were reluctant to enroll their children. They are demanding migration certificates so that their children could restart education in Afghanistan.

Abdul Nabi, who runs a private institute in Tehkal area of Peshawar, told Daily Timesthat a great number of students migrating to Afghanistan have demanded certificates.

“We are on the verge of closure. We have already fired majority of the staff as we could not afford. The students too are not visiting us to enroll, so we fear this is the end for us here,” Nabi said.

He added that many Afghan students along with families have either left or in the process of repatriation.

Although, Pakistan has extended the deadline for another three months but the situation is uncertain for refugees as they fear they might not get another extension in their residential permits.

“This is main reason parents are reluctant to send their kids to schools,” Nabi said, adding that their fate was also dependent on the decision of the Pakistani authorities. “We must also roll down now as people have stopped visiting us,” he said.

The Bu Ali Sena Institute for Afghan students in Peshawar also closed down recently where around 400 students were enrolled.

Another Afghan student Ahmad Ullah said that he along with three other siblings was studying at Bu Ali Sena Institute but the closure forced them to sever education.

“After getting certificates we will try to get admission at a school in Kabul as our parents had already migrated, Ahmad said. Owner of another Afghan private institute, on the condition of anonymity said that around 260 Afghan educational institutions had been operational across Pakistan where at least 60,000 students were enrolled. He added that out of these institutions around 150 were established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to an estimate, only in Peshawar around 28,000 Afghan students were enrolled at private Afghan institutes.

Thousands of others were also enrolled at government schools across the province.

All Primary Teacher Association provincial president Khalid Khan said that a great number of Afghan students were enrolled at government schools in KP. “No government school had denied admission to Afghan students in the past,” he added.

He maintained the provincial governments had been providing all facilities including free books and uniforms to Afghan students without any discrimination.

Afghan student Sabawoon said that a campaign has been started against the Afghans on social media in Pakistan.

She said, “I have a message for the Pakistani brothers and sisters that not all Afghans are criminals. One should remember we have also contributed to the Pakistani society as well as exchequer.” Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Atif Khan said that it was the mandate of the federal government to look after the enrolment of Afghan students in Pakistan.

To a query that by the end of the deadline in March, what would be the status of Afghan students studying on scholarships in different colleges and universities of Pakistan, the minister said the problem would be brought before the federal government soon.

According to the UNHCR’s spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi as many as 100,000 Afghan refugees have been repatriated to Afghanistan during 2016 so far. He added that two verification and registration centres established in Pakistan’s KP and Balochistan provinces were assisting the Afghan refugees in repatriation. He said that another centre at Azakhel in Nowshera district would soon be established keeping in view the rising flow of refugees in future.