Afghan Refugees Face Taliban Harassment, Economic Hardship After Deportation, Says HRW

The initiative, led by the Divisional Intelligence Committee (DIC), aims to ensure that no Afghan nationals, criminals, or individuals with links to terrorism are working in security roles.

According to Express Tribune, Rawalpindi security officials initiated the operation in response to a rise in terrorist incidents. The report states that intelligence officials in Rawalpindi have met with the owners of 79 private housing complexes to discuss the issue.

Rawalpindi, located near Islamabad, is home to hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees. Many have lived there for years and operate businesses in the city. Recently, Afghan refugees in Pakistan have faced increasing hardships, including arrests, police extortion, and forced deportations.

The Pakistani government has ordered Afghan refugees to leave Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Under the directive, refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), UNHCR receipts, or documents from Western embassies must vacate these cities by 31 March.

Additionally, undocumented Afghan refugees and ACC cardholders have been instructed to leave Pakistan by the same deadline.

Earlier, sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban and Pakistani border officials had reached an agreement to resume movement.

Sources stated that both sides finalised the decision during a meeting on Wednesday. Security officials confirmed that Asim Kayani, the Pakistan Army commander in Khyber, led the Pakistani delegation, while Abdul Jabbar Hikmat headed the Taliban delegation.

The meeting followed two failed jirgas aimed at reopening the critical border crossing. Officials involved in the negotiations said the Taliban’s refusal to halt border post construction had been the main obstacle.

Pakistan initially shut the Torkham border on February 21 after a clash between Taliban and Pakistani border forces. The dispute was triggered by the Taliban’s construction of a border post and Pakistan’s installation of a road sign at the zero-point. In response, Pakistan sealed the crossing to both travelers and trade.

The closure has stranded thousands of passengers and caused significant financial losses to businesses. A Pakistani official told Express Tribune that the closure has cost Pakistan around $72 million. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce reported that Afghan traders have suffered losses of approximately $66 million due to the prolonged shutdown.

Speaking after a high-level security meeting, Asif stated that Pakistan would not hesitate to track and eliminate its enemies wherever necessary. He insisted that a lenient approach would compromise national security.

On Tuesday, senior security and political officials in Pakistan held an emergency meeting at Parliament House. They discussed growing security threats, particularly attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baloch separatists in Balochistan. Following the meeting, Asif told Geo News that Pakistan was prepared to act against its enemies wherever they may be.

He accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to prevent TTP from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan. He claimed that Taliban officials in Kabul and other centres of power were preoccupied with internal disputes, leaving Pakistan with no choice but to act independently.

Asif made it clear that Pakistan would not tolerate the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan. He stated that anyone arguing against pursuing these groups was acting against Pakistan’s national interests.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly criticised the Pakistani government’s confrontational stance towards the Afghan Taliban. He recently argued that Afghanistan is not Pakistan’s enemy and should not be treated as such.

During Khan’s tenure, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, with his government playing a significant role in facilitating their return. However, tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have since escalated, particularly over Islamabad’s accusations that Afghan soil is being used to shelter anti-Pakistan militants.

On Tuesday, Afghan Jirga members told Afghanistan International that the Taliban has not accepted Islamabad’s condition to stop building facilities near the border. Pakistani Jirga members had urged the Taliban to suspend construction to allow the reopening of the crossing. Afghan representatives stated that they had relayed Pakistan’s request to the Taliban, but no agreement has been reached.

One Afghan Jirga member said, “The Taliban governor only mentioned that he would consult with his leaders, but local Taliban officials do not agree on halting the construction.”

Meanwhile, Taliban-affiliated media outlets, including Hurriyat, reported that Pakistan’s main condition for reopening the border is stopping military facility construction on Afghan soil. Taliban officials have called this condition a violation of national and international principles, labelling it interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

Syed Jawad Hussain Kazemi, head of Pakistan’s negotiating delegation, confirmed that discussions had taken place and they were now awaiting the Taliban’s response.

The Taliban has not officially commented on Pakistan’s demands. Islamabad closed the border due to the Taliban’s construction of checkpoints and other facilities. Since the closure, multiple clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards have been reported.

On Tuesday, March 18, reports revealed that the Interior Ministry had informed Leif-Erik Holm, a representative of the nationalist AfD party, about the plan.

Heiko Teggatz, head of the German Federal Police Union, voiced concerns about resettlement programs. He claimed that NGOs were encouraging Afghans to participate and advising them on ways to mislead authorities.

The Interior Ministry reiterated that no new refugee acceptance promises had been made. A ministry spokesperson stated that ongoing resettlement programs include support for local staff and at-risk individuals under the human rights framework.

Criticism of Germany’s refugee policy has increased following the recent transfer of 287 Afghans on two flights from Islamabad to Berlin.

The German government has not clarified whether additional flights will be arranged for the 2,800 Afghan refugees still waiting to enter the country.