Afghanistan Embassy Claims 800 Afghanis Arrested in Pakistan Despite Valid Papers

Islamabad: Expressing deep concern over the detention of approximately 800 Afghan nationals, including those with valid visas, PoRs and ACCs, the Afghanistan Embassy here has claimed the ambiguity over documents has led to worrying cases of “arbitrary detention and deportation.” The Embassy of Afghanistan said it is particularly concerned about reports of unnecessary arrests, house searches, and extortion of Afghan citizens.

“We urge the Pakistani government to address these serious concerns urgently,” the Embassy said in a post on X late on Monday.

There has been no official reaction from Pakistan government on the Embassy's claim.

Expressing deep concern over the detention of about 800 Afghan nationals in Islamabad, including those holding valid visas, Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs), the Embassy post said: “The lack of clarity on the conditions for obtaining NOCs has led to worrying cases of arbitrary detention and deportation.” Among those deported, 137 are those who have already applied for renewal of their visas, and also include those on temporary SHARP/ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) registration. SHARP, or Society for Human Rights and Prisoners' Aid, works with the UNHCR in Pakistan.

“This has resulted in the separation of families, including women and children, many of whom are still stranded in Pakistan,” it said.

Urging the government of Pakistan to address Afghanistan’s concerns, it said that relevant Pakistani authorities have been informed about the matter.

An appeal has also been made to the UNHCR and other human rights organisations for immediate intervention.

Since late 2023, Pakistan had embarked on returning Afghan refugees to their homeland and considered them as an added burden on its economy.

When the head of the UN refugee agency Filippo Grandi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in July 2024 to discuss the situation of millions of Afghan refugees living in uncertainty since Islamabad announced a repatriation plan of what it called "undocumented aliens" last year, he urged the international community to recognise the “burden of Afghan refugees” being shouldered by Pakistan and demonstrate “collective responsibility” to deal with the issue.

Also, Pakistan has regularly maintained that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an affiliate of Afghan Taliban, has emerged as a significant threat to state's security institutions.

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