Pakistan has repatriated 1.9 million Afghans to their homeland, following the exit of the US in 2021. A large number of Afghans lived in Balochistan and their departure has created a vacuum that orchard and farm owners are finding it difficult to fill. Although laborers from the Punjab and Sindh have been arriving to take their place, the Pashtun speaking orchard owners find it difficult to communicate with them. Afghans also played a major role in the market economy of the province and their forcible expulsion has put a dent in the livelihood of the agricultural sector in the province. However, fear has kept the roughly one million Afghans from becoming visible, given they would be turned over to the police and sent next door.
