In a joint statement, the applicants condemned the attack in Washington, stressing that it was the act of a single individual. They said the crime of one person should not be used as grounds to penalize thousands of Afghans who supported the U.S. mission and are now seeking safety.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has also urged Pakistan to exclude vulnerable Afghan nationals; particularly those with completed U.S. relocation cases, from any deportation measures, and to allow them to remain in the country until a secure solution is found.

UNHCR says that more than one million Afghans returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan in 2025, a scale of movement that, instead of easing pressure, has generated new humanitarian concerns.

Philippa Candler, UNHCR's representative in Pakistan, said that while such large-scale returns might normally be considered positive, the prevailing instability has turned the process into a source of additional risk and anxiety.

Afghan case holders insist they are“allies, not criminals,” emphasizing their cooperation with U.S. forces during the war. They are urging Washington to honor its commitments by restarting the relocation program and ensuring their protection, warning that further delays could expose them to escalating dangers and deepening humanitarian distress.