Taliban Bans Publication Of Images Of Living Beings In Nuristan

The number of Afghans holding this ID card in Pakistan is about 1.3 million.

As the Constitutional Court resumes hearing of petitions against the mass deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan on Tuesday, the federal government has assured the country's Supreme Court that the validity of the PoR registration certificate cards has been extended until June 30, 2025, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

Following the Pakistani government's decision to deport Afghan refugees en masse in October 2023, several lawsuits have been filed by the coalition of civil society activists, human rights activists, and former senators.

According to the Dawn newspaper, the federal government has assured the Supreme Court that all Afghan refugees who register themselves in Pakistan, including holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), will enjoy full legal protection and will not be detained or deported.

According to a July 22, 2024, announcement by Pakistan's Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, the deadline for Certificate of Registration or POR or ICC cards will be extended until June 30, 2025.

According to the Dawn newspaper, the total number of PoR and ACC card holders residing in Pakistan is estimated at 1.3 million and 700,000, respectively.

In recent weeks, following the escalation of tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban in Kabul, Pakistani security forces have launched extensive efforts to arrest and deport Afghan refugees, especially from the capital, Islamabad. In the past few days, many pictures have been published of house-to-house search operations in Islamabad and some other areas.

The ministry added that these individuals were released on bail.

The Taliban's Ministry of Promotion of Virtue reported on Tuesday, January 7, that these individuals were briefly detained in the third and fifth districts of Kabul city and released on bail.

"We are committed to preventing such acts while preserving Islamic and social values," the ministry's statement said.

The Taliban's Law for the Promotion of Virtue has given extensive powers to the group's Ministry of Virtue, whose ombudsman also has the right to arrest individuals.

Human rights organisations say that the Taliban's judicial system is not standardised and that defendants do not have access to due process, including a defence lawyer.

McCaul said that the Trump administration, which will begin its work soon, should take the growing threat of ISIS-K seriously and take action against it.

"Another issue that I'm very concerned about is the fall of Afghanistan and the catastrophe that happened there," McCaul told ABC News on Monday. We are witnessing the revival of ISIS-K in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This really worries me."

The Taliban claims to have eliminated ISIS in Afghanistan and that Afghan soil is not being used against foreign countries. However, reports by independent international organisations show that ISIS continues to recruit and expand its influence in Afghanistan. According to the UN Security Council report, ISIS has even infiltrated the Taliban's security institutions.

McCaul said in the interview that eight ISIS affiliates had recently entered the United States.

He called on US President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office in less than two weeks, to confront two major threats, namely the organised threats and the media and internet activities of terrorist groups, especially ISIS.

Referring to the recent attack by an ISIS supporter in New Orleans, McCaul stressed that there is no doubt that terrorism is a growing threat to the country.

The former chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee also said that the car attack in New Orleans is a wake-up call.

"Attacking with a car is a simple method, like a killing machine, it can be easily used," he said.

Shamsuddin Jabbar, a US citizen, killed at least 14 people recently at a Christmas market in New Orleans. The FBI has said that he was inspired by ISIS. The ISIS flag was also found in the attacker's car.

Recently, Iran and Pakistan, two of Afghanistan's neighbours, have intensified the arrest and deportation of Afghan refugees.

On Tuesday, January 7, the Taliban's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation posted a statement on its account on social media platform X, saying that while distributing land to refugees in Daman district of Kandahar province, Fitrat asked countries to allow Afghan refugees to return to the country voluntarily.

"Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Staff of the Taliban Army, called on countries that forcibly deport Afghan refugees to stop oppressing them and allow Afghan refugees to return to their country voluntarily," the statement quoted Fitrat as saying.

Fitrat also asked the Taliban authorities to prepare the ground for the return of Afghan refugees to the country so that they can live peacefully in the country.

In recent days, Pakistani police have raided the homes of Afghan refugees in different parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, arresting migrants, including women and children, and transferring them to detention centres.

In some cases, Pakistani police have also arrested some Afghan citizens who had visas and legal residency documents in Pakistan. So far, a large number of Afghan refugees have been deported to Afghanistan after being arrested by Pakistani police.

The Taliban's embassy in Islamabad announced on Monday that Pakistani police have arrested about 800 Afghan citizens, including holders of visas, POR and immigration cards, in Islamabad.

Expressing concern over the issue, the Taliban embassy said, "The lack of clarity on the conditions for obtaining an NOC (residence permit) has caused worrying cases of arbitrary detention and deportation."

Gohar stressed that UNHCR is a "silent spectator" in the face of these actions. She urged the organisation to defend the rights of vulnerable Afghans, especially women and children.

On Monday, January 6, Bushra Gohar, a human rights activist and former member of Pakistan's parliament, reacted to the detention of Afghan refugees in Islamabad by publishing notes on the social media platform X.

The arrests appear to have been ordered by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and should be stopped immediately, she said.

Gohar stressed that Afghan migrant women, children and the elderly should be released from detention centers immediately.

The former member of Pakistan's parliament referred to the United Nations as a "silent spectator" and called on the organisation to defend the rights of vulnerable Afghans, especially women and girls.

"Please explain why this inhumane repression against Afghan families living in Islamabad has begun. Women, children and the elderly are rounded up by police trucks. Many of them have valid documents or are in the process of receiving documents."

Bushra Gohar also stressed that after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, families have been forced to flee the country.

Bushra Gohar is a Pakistani politician and one of the senior leaders of the National Democratic Movement. She was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.

Pakistani police have recently resumed house-to-house searches to detain and deport Afghan refugees. Pakistan's move has been met with strong reactions from human rights organisations.