Former Afghan Envoy Claims India Encouraged Engagement With Taliban

The organisation said that Pakistani authorities have committed widespread abuses against Afghan migrants.

Recently, the Taliban consulate in Karachi reported the kidnapping of an Afghan immigrant girl by a "Pakistani military member".

HRW reported that Pakistani police and other authorities, alongside conducting mass arrests and confiscating the property and assets of Afghan immigrants, also destroyed the identity documents of thousands of Afghan migrants. The organisation added that Pakistani authorities are compelling them to return to Afghanistan through widespread abuses against Afghan immigrants.

On Tuesday, this human rights organisation wrote that since mid-September 2023, Pakistani authorities have deported over 400,000 Afghan migrants.

Elaine Pearson, HRW Asia Director, said, “Pakistani officials have created a coercive environment for Afghans to force them to return to life-threatening conditions in Afghanistan.”

She urged the Pakistani authorities to cease the mistreatment of immigrants and provide Afghans who are at risk the opportunity to stay in Pakistan.

Human rights activists and journalists reported that the Pakistani government's mistreatment was part of a campaign to force Afghan migrants to leave the country. They say that the police have beaten, threatened, and detained Afghan immigrants.

HRW stated that the Pakistani police also demanded bribes and confiscated jewellery, livestock and other property and destroyed their houses with bulldozers.

The organisation stated that among those deported or compelled to leave Pakistan are Afghans who were born in Pakistan and have never resided in Afghanistan.

HRW also said that Afghans, including women and girls, human rights defenders, journalists and former government employees who fled following the takeover power by Taliban, are at risk of persecution.

According to reports, Pakistani officials have allegedly compelled Afghans waiting for resettlement in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries, who couldn't renew their visas, to pay an exit fee of USD 830.

According to HRW, the forced deportations of Afghan refugees violate Pakistan's obligations as a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture and under the customary international law principle of nonrefoulment.

Elaine Pearson urged countries that have promised to resettling Afghans at risk to expedite the processes while pressuring on Pakistan to fulfil its human rights obligations.

According to Vahidi, a systematic plan is in place to categorise these immigrants: those with permits will receive identification cards, while those lacking permits face deportation.

In a statement to the Mehr news agency on Wednesday, Vahidi mentioned the introduction of a "unique ID" for legally documented immigrants, aiding in their identification. Conversely, undocumented immigrants will be subject to deportation.

Vahidi highlighted that there are approximately five million Afghan immigrants in Iran. He emphasised the need for the Taliban to create suitable conditions, considering Afghanistan's current state, to ensure a smooth return of these immigrants to their homeland.

The Taliban, meanwhile, is grappling with the large-scale deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, involving hundreds of thousands of individuals.

The Axel Springer Courage Award is one of the most important awards in Germany, which is awarded annually to human rights activists in various fields.

This award has been given to Afghan women who, for over two years, have faced deprivation of participation and activity in various aspects of life and society under the Taliban rule.

The Taliban has prohibited girls from going to school above grade six and female students from university.

Despite the Taliban's repressive actions, women in various cities have come to the streets to protest against the group's policies.

In response to women's protests, the Taliban has resorted to threatening, arresting, and torturing the demonstrators.

In an interview with Radio Television Afghanistan on Tuesday, Stanikzai commented on the recent Moscow meeting titled "Afghanistan Between Past and Future," expressing that Russia wasted its time hosting opposition leaders.

The meeting, facilitated by Sergey Mironov of A Just Russia Party, saw participation from several anti-Taliban figures, including NRF leader Ahmad Massoud and Hazara leader, Mohammad Mohaqiq. However, Stanikzai dismissed the event's significance, urging Russia to ignore the opposition groups.

Stanikzai called on opposition leaders like Ahmad Massoud to return to Afghanistan for talks, but clarified the Taliban’s stance against an inclusive government. He rationalised this by comparing the Taliban's situation to other countries where victorious parties form their governments, arguing that coalition governments have historically failed in Afghanistan.

He further commented on the political structure of the Taliban, likening it to Western systems in some respects, yet distinct in its rejection of elections and demands for allegiance to the Taliban leader.

This perspective comes amid concerns from Western countries and neighbouring states about the Taliban's monopoly causing internal tensions and potential instability in Afghanistan. Despite this, the National Resistance Front (NRF) vows to continue its resistance until a democratic government is established.

He asserted that the embassy, contrary to earlier announcements of suspension, would reopen soon. Previously, the Afghan Embassy in Delhi had declared a complete halt in its operations, issuing a formal statement to that effect.

Contradicting this, Stanikzai stated that the embassy has resumed operations and that claims of its closure, particularly those made by a former diplomat named Naeemi, were false.

He further mentioned that the Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are operational and actively providing consular services, maintaining ties with the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Afghan Embassy in India had attributed its closure to ongoing difficulties with the Indian government, citing unresolved issues regarding visa extensions for its diplomats despite an eight-week wait.

Stanikzai also revealed that two Afghan consuls are currently overseeing the embassy offices in India and indicated that full diplomatic representation would be restored shortly.