Two Afghan migrants who recently returned from Pakistan to the city of Jalalabad share differing views on life back in Afghanistan, reflecting their diverse economic experiences. These interviews highlight the challenges facing many who have come back.
One of the returnees is named Shakirullah. Born in Pakistan where he worked as an electrician and solar panel installer, he now continues the same trade in Jalalabad and is satisfied with his work situation. "When someone is a worker, there is no shortage of work anywhere," he told the media.
However, Shakirullah faces other serious problems. He says his biggest challenges are not having a home and the lack of access to school for his children. "Since we've arrived, we have moved to four different houses… Another problem is the wasted time of our sons and daughters who cannot go to school," he explained.
But the situation is completely different for Iftikhar, another returnee. He works with a three-wheeled vehicle that he does not own and must pay its owner 200 to 250 Afghanis daily. He says his income is not enough to support his family. "Life was good in Pakistan; we were happy and we managed. Now that we are here, there is no work," Iftikhar told Amu TV.
Iftikhar, who also did daily wage labor in Pakistan, says he could find work every day there and had a better life. Having received 11,000 Afghanis in aid upon entering Afghanistan, he now asks for more financial help and a permanent home.
These stories emerge as information about a government land distribution program remains scarce. Last year, the Taliban's Ministry of Urban Development and Housing announced a plan to distribute land to returning families, but the status of this program is unclear. According to UNAMA figures, six million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran over the past three years, placing immense pressure on Afghanistan's limited resources.
Source: Amu TV
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