With a reinvigorated Taliban in the blood-stained streets of Kabul, the refugee rhetoric seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Fearful of the impending wave of those fleeing the tumult in Afghanistan, Pakistan has already put its foot down. No matter how hard some may blow the trumpet of its hospitality, the writing on the wall could not be any clearer: no more extending of the munificent hands to our Afghan brethren. It is very easy to sneer at the government’s worries as sheer xenophobia. Yet, the fact that similar concerns have been raised by card-carrying members of the EU while neighbouring Uzbekistan is keen on accepting just a handful of asylum-seekers should’ve put things in perspective. The Afghans, who had hastily fled across borders at the first sight of the black Shahada flag hoisted in Kabul, planned to return home in a matter of months, if not weeks. Over two decades down, generations of them are still living in the makeshift sanctuaries. A developing country hosting a staggering 1.4 million refugees (UN estimates are much, much higher) is no joke! But, rather than taking stock of an acute humanitarian disaster ready to pound down our door, powerful nations are only interested in nit-picking. Pakistan’s rehabilitation efforts are as kosher as kosher can be given our crumbling finances. Yes, it would have been better for everyone if those who were welcomed with open arms did not have to grapple with constant harassment and the Damoclean sword of eviction. In the past, conversation about Afghan refugees has largely centred around the spiking crime rates and the ever-persistent terror threat. Yes, a numbers-only analysis is bound to give humanity the boot. Those seeking shelter in a country that inherited millions of violence-ravaged refugees as its bloodline might have hoped for just a little more empathy. However, balancing its moral obligations with holding the fort against those–with terrorists’ links–determined to tear it down; Pakistan has been treading a tight rope for far too long now. For quite some time, Islamabad has been making efforts at solving the legal lacunae so that its refugees can be truly inculcated as Pakistanis. Releasing them from the reductive clasp of the Foreigners Act of 1946 (that views them as aliens) was touted to be a great stepping stone. In recent times, the drive to issue smart cards, PM Khan’s promise to naturalise Afghans born in Pakistan and refugees’ inclusion in the COVID inoculation are commendable measures. Sadly, the crusade to improve their lives lies in tatters as the global attention has shifted to (for the lack of an appropriate word) the new black. A more humane approach that harvests Afghans-in-need as future investments viz-a-viz education, healthcare and technological innovation could certainly pay off. Achieving all that and more while fighting fires on a shoestring budget as yet another wave of refugees is made home might look pristine on paper. But, accomplishing it in the real world: a different scenario altogether! *