The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Pakistani authorities to stop the deportation and harassment of Afghan journalists who have fled Afghanistan because of threats to their lives.
CPJ has listed proof of how Afghan journalists have been detained and deported forcefully.
A letter sent to CPJ on January 16, by the independent watchdog group, the Pak-Afghan International Forum of Journalists, stated that during the first week of January 2025, Pakistani security forces detained two Afghan journalists and their families before deporting them to Afghanistan. The letter did not disclose the names of the deported journalists, who are members of the forum.
“Pakistan’s security agencies must immediately halt the harassment and deportation of Afghan journalists,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator. “These journalists fled Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s threats to their lives. The Pakistani government must protect them, not mistreat them.”
CPJ also stated that Afghan journalists Mujeeb Awrang and Ahmad Mosavi were detained by Pakistani authorities at their homes in the capital, Islamabad on January 3. Both the journalists were held in a vehicle for three hours, despite having presented valid Pakistani visas and Afghan passports, as per CPJ. The journalists claimed that they were threatened with imprisonment and deportation before being released without explanation.
The Pakistani government has instructed Afghan nationals, including journalists, to relocate from Islamabad and the nearby city of Rawalpindi to other cities by January 15.
Afghan journalists continue to face imprisonment and persecution by the Taliban, with Afghan News Agency reporter Mahdi Ansary, sentenced on January 1 to 18 months in prison on charges of disseminating anti-Taliban propaganda.
Pakistan’s federal information minister Attaullah Tarar did not respond to CPJ’s request for comments on the issue.
