Afghan Deportees To Panama Face Death Threats If Returned, Says Rights Group

Among the expenditures was a payment of $132,000 to Mohammad Qasem Halimi—a former Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in the previous Afghan government and a former member of the Taliban.

In a statement published on the social media platform X on Tuesday, 1 April, DOGE did not disclose the purpose of the payment or how the funds were used by Halimi. He was also identified as having served as the chief of protocol for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry during its first regime.

The Department of Government Efficiency was established by former President Donald Trump with the mandate to streamline and reduce the size of the federal government. Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has suspended all foreign aid, including projects funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), for a 90-day review period. The move has resulted in the cancellation of numerous US-backed programmes.

According to DOGE, the US Institute of Peace received an annual allocation of $55 million from Congress, which the previous administration allegedly spent without sufficient oversight. The department claims that roughly $13 million was transferred to a private endowment, largely used for travel and private events.

In addition to the payment to Halimi, DOGE reported that more than $2.23 million was moved to the institute’s foreign accounts—information the agency says had been deleted but has now been recovered. It also cited further questionable expenditures, including $1.3 million to an Iraqi youth association and $675,000 on private aviation services.

He also warned that individuals linked to the Afghan Taliban and Indian intelligence operatives operating within Pakistan would face firm and decisive action from Islamabad.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, 1 April, Sanaullah stressed that the Pakistani government would no longer tolerate terrorist activity on its soil.

Islamabad has long accused the Taliban of harbouring militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and has recently suggested that the group is working in coordination with Indian intelligence to destabilise Pakistan.

Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have escalated in recent months, particularly over the Taliban’s alleged ties with the TTP and growing diplomatic engagement with India.

Following a recent attack on the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan by Baloch militants, Pakistani officials claimed that the hostage-takers had direct links to individuals based in Afghanistan, implicating the Taliban in the planning of the assault.

Pakistan also accused India of being involved in the attack, though both the Afghan Taliban and the Indian government have firmly denied the allegations.

This development comes amid conflicting reports in recent days. The Associated Press, citing official documents, had reported that the arrests and deportations were postponed until 10 April due to the Eid al-Fitr holidays. However, Geo News claims the deportation process is proceeding as originally scheduled.

According to the report, on 26 March, Pakistan’s federal government also asked the provincial authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to submit updated information on Afghan students as part of its broader effort to strengthen the database of foreign nationals residing in the country.

The Pakistani government had given undocumented Afghan migrants and holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs) until 31 March to leave the country voluntarily. Officials have now warned that forced deportations of both groups will begin today.

The decision to proceed with deportations comes despite ongoing uncertainty and contradictory statements from various government bodies. On Monday, Dawn newspaper reported that the police chief of Rawalpindi had issued orders for the expulsion of undocumented Afghan nationals. Meanwhile, the Associated Press continued to report that the deportation deadline had been delayed until after Eid.

Pakistan has announced plans to deport up to three million Afghan nationals in 2024. Since September 2023, nearly one million have already been expelled.

According to data from the UNHCR, there are currently 1.52 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, around 800,000 of whom hold ACCs. In addition to these, thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals remain in the country.

The government has stated that both undocumented migrants and ACC holders will be removed in this phase of deportations. Furthermore, Pakistani authorities have declared that Afghan refugees with UN-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will also face deportation after 30 June 2025.

The mass deportation campaign has drawn strong criticism from the Taliban, the United Nations, human rights organisations, and refugee advocacy groups. It remains unclear whether Pakistan will fully implement the deportation plans or extend the deadline once again.

On Monday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Iran remains the primary state sponsor of terrorism in the region and maintains a hostile stance toward the United States and its allies.

Iran “supports Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, the Houthis, the Taliban, and other terrorist networks,” Bruce stated, underscoring what she called Iran’s extensive role in fuelling regional instability.

She added that President Donald Trump, will never allow the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons. This marks the first time the US has publicly included the Taliban in its list of Iran-backed proxy groups operating across the region.

Economic and political ties between Iran and the Taliban have expanded significantly in recent months. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, recently visited Kabul and declared the start of “a new chapter” in bilateral relations following meetings with Taliban officials.

Washington appears increasingly concerned over the deepening Iran-Taliban relationship, viewing Tehran’s support as a possible attempt to use the Taliban as another regional proxy force.

Nevertheless, the Taliban have continued to express interest in building economic ties with the United States. This week, Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi told CBS News that Afghanistan’s “untapped mineral wealth” remains open to US investment.

The Trump administration has shown interest in resource investments abroad, particularly in Russia and Ukraine. The Taliban hopes that attracting American investment in Afghanistan’s mining sector could serve as a platform for improving diplomatic relations.

Since the Trump administration took office, the Taliban has released two American citizens from detention. Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US envoy involved in the negotiations for George Glezmann’s release, stated the move was aimed at gaining favour with the current US government.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to review the request on 17 April, according to RIA Novosti.

The move comes under a new legal framework signed into law by President Vladimir Putin on 28 December 2024. The legislation allows for the conditional and temporary suspension of a group’s terrorist status if specific legal and security conditions are met. Under the law, the Prosecutor General or their deputy may request such a suspension, pending a court ruling.

The Taliban has been listed as a terrorist organisation in Russia since 14 February 2003. While Moscow, like most countries, has not officially recognised the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, it has maintained diplomatic and economic ties with the group. Russia has handed over operational control of the Afghan embassy in Moscow to Taliban representatives, with Jamal Nasir Gharwal currently serving as chargé d’affaires.

President Putin said in July 2024 that the Taliban is now considered an ally in counterterrorism efforts. However, for the court to approve the suspension of the terrorist designation, Russian authorities must provide evidence that the Taliban has ceased all terrorism-related activity—including incitement, justification, or support for terrorist acts—under the definitions set out in Russia’s penal code.

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko confirmed in February that Russia is in no rush to grant formal recognition to the Taliban. He added that the legal process for removing the group from the terrorist list would take time.

Meanwhile, Zamir Kabulov, Putin’s special envoy for Afghanistan, announced that a Russia-Taliban bilateral working group is expected to be established in spring 2025. This group would replace the existing intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, despite the Taliban’s ongoing lack of international recognition.

Russian officials have made clear that even if the Taliban is removed from the terrorist list, the decision would not equate to formal diplomatic recognition of the group.