Pakistan to cancel 2.5 lakh ID cards issued to Afghans 'illegally': How it could further strain ties with Taliban

Afghan refugees arrive near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on October 30, 2025, ahead of their departure for Afghanistan. (Photo by Abdul BASIT / AFP)

Pakistan’s internal tensions with Afghanistan have deepened further as Islamabad moves to cancel at least 250,000 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs), allegedly issued to Afghan nationals. According to top intelligence sources quoted by CNN-News18, Pakistani authorities claim the documents were obtained illegally, often through forged paperwork and bribery.

However, Taliban sources have rejected Islamabad’s claims, calling the move a “pressure tactic” designed to force Kabul into submission.

Pakistan’s claim: fake CNICs, terror links, and bribes

According to Pakistani intelligence sources cited by CNN-News18, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) claims to have uncovered a large network involved in fabricating CNICs for Afghan nationals.

“In its scrutiny, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) of Pakistan claims it has found that some fake CNICs were made with the help of coloured printers and softwares. They say these CNICs were issued to Afghans through fake documents and heavy bribes. Some citizenships were issued to fake marriage certificates (nikahnama), they claim," said intelligence sources.

The sources further alleged that individuals using these forged identities are linked to criminal and terrorist networks. “According to Pakistan, those with fake CNICs are involved in money laundering, terror financing and other illegal activities. Many militants are using these Afghans and their families for crimes. The crackdown against Afghan refugees will continue in Pakistan," they added.

Taliban’s response: “inhumane and against Islamic brotherhood”

Taliban officials, however, have strongly condemned Pakistan’s actions, calling them politically motivated and morally indefensible. Speaking to CNN-News18, Taliban sources said these were Afghans who had spent their entire lives in Pakistan.

“According to the Taliban, these are Afghans who were born and raised in Pakistan. Their expulsion is inhumane and against Islamic brotherhood," say Taliban sources.

Taliban representatives have accused Islamabad of bowing to international pressure rather than addressing humanitarian concerns. “This is nothing but systematic ethnic cleansing of Pashtuns," they said, adding that Pakistan’s crackdown is being carried out to appease Western and IMF demands to appear tough on terror financing.

Crackdown, conflict, and ceasefire

Pakistan’s decision follows a broader crackdown launched in early October, when the government declared that all undocumented Afghan nationals would be deported “as soon as possible.” The move came amid escalating hostilities between the two neighbours.

On October 9, Pakistan reportedly launched cross-border airstrikes inside Kabul, targeting camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad accused the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militants responsible for attacks that have killed hundreds of Pakistani soldiers since 2021.

The Taliban retaliated swiftly. In a fierce counteroffensive across the border, 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 20 security outposts destroyed, according to intelligence assessments.

While both sides have since agreed to a fragile ceasefire, tensions remain high. Diplomatic sources told CNN-News18 that a second round of peace talks is scheduled for November 6, even as mistrust continues to define Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.

Pakistan’s crackdown on Afghan nationals, coupled with its internal security failures and external pressure from international lenders, reflects a deepening crisis. What Islamabad calls a “law enforcement operation,” Kabul views as a humanitarian and ethnic catastrophe -- a rift that is unlikely to heal soon.