2.8 million documented and undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan, making it the world’s second-largest refugee population
On the outskirts of Pakistan’s populous metropolitan city of Karachi is nestled a slum township, which in recent days is seeing an influx of Afghan families fleeing from the Taliban rule in the northern Kunduz province in conflict-ridden Afghanistan.
Located on the northern outskirts, just off the super highway outside Karachi, the Afghan Basti (slum township), which is made up of concrete and mud houses and even has families residing in tarpaulin tents, is seeing more displaced Afghan families reaching here since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and took over Kabul.
“We are not surprised and in the last two weeks we have some 500-600 families, which means around 4,000 to 5,000 people including women and children, joining us in the Basti,” said Haji Abdullah, an elderly Afghan who has been living in Karachi for the last 25 years.
“These…