A refugee and migrant rights campaigner at Amnesty International has called on Pakistan to revoke its decision to expel Afghan nationals.
Former US special representative for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad also urged Pakistan to stop the mistreatment and forced deportation of Afghan migrants.
Pakistani security agencies have reportedly been conducting house-to-house searches in various parts of Islamabad over the past three days.
During the raids, many Afghan migrants have been detained and transferred to security centres.
James Jennion, campaigner for the refugee and migrant’ rights at Amnesty International, hit out at Pakistan’s announcement to expedite plans to unlawfully deport Afghan refugees.
Jennion said: “The Pakistan authorities’ callous disregard for the persecution, serious human rights violations and humanitarian catastrophe that await Afghan refugees if deported to Afghanistan is heart-breaking.”
Instead of heeding repeated global calls to halt deportations, the Pakistani government had disappointingly extended the expulsion drive to Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders as well, the campaigner deplored.
“The decision endangers the lives of over 800,000 Afghan refugees across Pakistan and threatens to unleash another wave of harassment and detentions after the holy month of Ramadan.
“Pakistan’s ‘Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan’ is in violation of refugee and international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, and puts the lives of all Afghan refugees at risk, particularly women, girls, journalists, human rights defenders, women protestors, artists, and former Afghan government and security officials. The government’s decision also lacks transparency and arbitrarily cancels the validity of the ACC documentation that was issued by the government of Pakistan itself.
“We call on the Pakistani authorities to immediately reverse these decisions and urgently pass human rights-compliant law protecting the rights of refugees in the country and become a state party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees along with its Protocols.”
Over the past three days, Pakistan’s security agencies have allegedly detained hundreds of Afghan migrants in house-to-house searches in various areas of Islamabad.
A month ago, Pakistan’s interior minister had announced after December 31, 2024, no Afghan migrant would have the right to live in Islamabad without a no-objection certificate.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, wrote on X: “I agree,the #Pakistan authorities must stop the illegal mistreatment and deportation of Afghan refugees.”
In a statement, the Afghan embassy voiced its deep concern at the detention of about 800 Afghan nationals, including individuals with valid visas, PoR and ACC cards.
The statement noted the lack of clarity regarding the process of obtaining a no-objection certificate had led to troubling arbitrary detentions and expulsions.
sa/mud
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