A recent report has revealed that 201 Afghan students are currently enrolled in various universities across Balochistan, even as refugee repatriation from the province continues to accelerate.
According to official data, 84 Afghan students are studying at the University of Balochistan, while 59 are enrolled at BUITEMS (Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences). Additionally, 22 Afghan students are studying at the University of Loralai, and 36 Afghan female students are currently pursuing degrees at the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University in Quetta.
University administrations confirmed that many Afghan students had returned to their home country before completing their studies, following recent policy shifts. Officials have advised that students wishing to resume their education in Pakistan must obtain valid student visas before returning to continue their programs.
Sources within the universities revealed that the special quota for Afghan students in Balochistan’s universities has now been abolished, signaling a change in cross-border educational cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the repatriation of Afghan refugees in Balochistan has intensified since October, with authorities closing 10 refugee camps across the province and sending approximately 85,000 Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan.
According to official sources, the shuttered camps included one in Quetta, two in Pishin, three in Loralai, three in Chagai, and one in Killa Saifullah. These sites had for decades hosted thousands of Afghan families who fled to Pakistan during periods of conflict and instability.
The Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees reported that nearly 500,000 Afghan nationals were officially registered across Balochistan, many of whom have since returned voluntarily or been repatriated under government supervision.
At the Chaman border, crossings remain closed for pedestrians but have been partially reopened for Afghan refugees returning to their homeland.
Nationwide, more than 1.4 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan so far, including 163,000 Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders and 80,000 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, as Pakistan continues its campaign for the organized and voluntary return of undocumented refugees.
