Pak Police Detain Afghan Migrants As Thousands Left In Legal Uncertainty

The organisation expressed grave concern over the treatment of Afghan women and minors, warning that their forced deportation poses a serious threat to their safety and dignity.

The footage, released by Afghanistan International, captured the moment Pakistani police detained a group of Afghan women and girls. In one scene, a young girl is seen crying and pleading with officers not to arrest her family, before they are forcibly placed into a police vehicle.

The rights group said thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan are living under intense pressure. Many are eligible for relocation to third countries, but ongoing detentions and deportations have disrupted the processing of their resettlement cases and diminished their hopes.

Refugee Rights Watch called on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and Australia to take immediate action to protect Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The organisation stressed that now is the time for global solidarity, stating that refugees are not criminals and should be supported rather than punished.

Arrests and deportations of Afghans in Pakistan have increased in recent weeks, coinciding with the suspension of the Afghan visa renewal process.

According to Dawn newspaper, the directive instructs police to detain Afghan migrants residing or working in the area without valid legal documents and transfer them to a holding centre at the Government Associate College.

The police chief stated that Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, individuals with expired visas, those lacking legal documentation, and holders of temporary UN cards are all subject to arrest under the new enforcement measures. He expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of station heads in identifying and detaining undocumented migrants and urged officials to use all available resources to implement the directive.

Police officers have also been instructed to submit daily reports directly to the police chief’s office.

Dawn further reported that police have launched operations across various neighbourhoods in Rawalpindi, checking the identities of residents, particularly those living in rented properties.

Earlier, Afghan migrants in Islamabad alleged that police had entered homes without warning, detained families, and taken them into custody.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Pakistan deported 286,631 Afghan nationals between 1 April and 15 July.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council on Friday, Dar addressed regional tensions with India and the future of Pakistan’s relationship with the United States. He also responded to a question from Afghanistan International regarding Pakistan’s readiness to engage with anti-Taliban groups.

Dar referred to Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with the Taliban, noting that while Pakistan has not officially recognised the group, it has recently elevated its engagement from humanitarian coordination to full embassy-level representation. He said other countries had taken similar steps earlier.

He stated that Pakistan is open to constructive cooperation aligned with shared interests, while reiterating that the country does not seek to involve itself in the internal matters of others and expects the same in return.

In response to a question about whether Pakistan regrets its past support for the Taliban, Dar said the past remains open for discussion. He added that Pakistan has been one of the main victims of terrorism, having suffered significant human and financial losses in its efforts to combat the threat. He said those efforts may have prevented the threat from reaching the United States.

Addressing a separate question about Russia’s engagement with the Taliban, Dar said Moscow’s decision to recognise the group as Afghanistan’s government was an independent one. He added that Pakistan does not currently consider the time appropriate for formal recognition.

Dar is on an official visit to the United States, where he met with his American counterpart in Washington to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation, combating terrorism, and promoting regional peace.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan made the remarks during a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, where he also confirmed that Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Pakistan, with dates to be announced soon.

During the Taliban’s first rule in the 1990s, Pakistan, along with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, formally recognised the group. However, none of these countries have extended official recognition to the Taliban since their return to power in August 2021. Current diplomatic engagement remains limited. Russia is the only country known to have recently recognised the Taliban administration.

Khan stated that talks with the Taliban leadership are ongoing, and discussions are focused on security cooperation. He also provided further details about the recent visit to Kabul by Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who held meetings with senior Taliban officials.

Key topics during those meetings included cross-border security and the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of allowing TTP fighters to operate from Afghan soil and launch attacks into Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban have consistently denied.

Khan said Taliban officials acknowledged Pakistan’s security concerns, though the group maintains that Islamabad is responsible for addressing its internal security challenges.

Tensions between the two sides have remained high in recent years, with frequent clashes between border forces in areas such as Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Dand Wa Patan.

Despite strained relations, diplomatic ties have advanced, with the Taliban recently upgrading their mission in Islamabad from chargé d’affaires to ambassadorial level. The move followed a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and the Taliban held in Beijing earlier this year.

The demonstrators carried photographs of migrants who recently died in Iran and chanted slogans such as “Afghan migrants are human too” and “Silence in the face of oppression is complicity.” Protesters condemned what they described as violent and discriminatory actions by certain Iranian institutions and citizens against Afghan nationals.

Organisers called on both Iran and Pakistan to ensure Afghan migrants are treated with dignity and respect. They also urged the United Nations to take immediate and practical steps to uphold the rights of Afghan migrants facing forced return.

The protesters expressed particular concern over deportations from Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, which they said are placing thousands of vulnerable Afghans at risk.

A similar demonstration was held a day earlier in Hamburg, Germany, where Afghan asylum seekers voiced opposition to increasing deportations of their compatriots from neighbouring countries.