370,000 Afghan Migrants Return From Iran In Two Weeks, Says UN

Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, said in a message posted Monday on X that political and diplomatic efforts against the Taliban have intensified and will continue to expand.

He noted that Afghanistan’s diplomatic mission has achieved notable progress over the past six months, including the submission of a detailed report to the UN Human Rights Council outlining the systematic exclusion and discrimination of women and girls under Taliban rule.

Andisha also highlighted the recent arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. He described the court’s decision as a major milestone in global efforts to defend human rights, despite the shame it brings to Afghanistan.

He pointed to recent diplomatic challenges, including Russia’s recognition of the Taliban and Germany’s acceptance of Taliban-appointed consular officials, as setbacks that have complicated conditions for Afghan migrants and undermined broader efforts to isolate the group internationally.

Andisha said the Taliban continue to violate basic human rights, exclude ethnic minorities and women from participation, and disregard international legal obligations under the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He warned that at this stage in Afghanistan’s political struggle, silence, whitewashing, missed opportunities, and a failure to act are grave disservices to the Afghan people and the country’s future.

Abdul Bari Omar, the Taliban-appointed head of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), held talks with Oybek Usmanov, Uzbekistan’s envoy to Afghanistan. According to a statement from DABS, Omar emphasised the need to expand bilateral relations, particularly in the energy sector.

While specific details of the proposed power projects were not disclosed, Usmanov reportedly expressed satisfaction with the current level of cooperation and reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s interest in deepening economic ties.

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan supply a significant portion of Afghanistan’s electricity. However, frequent outages continue to affect Kabul and other major cities, where residents report having power for only four to six hours a day despite rising utility bills.

Sadiq, who shared details and images of the meeting on social media, said the talks were held in Islamabad on 27 July. He described the discussions as candid and focused on the latest regional developments and urgent security threats.

The Pakistani envoy said he expressed deep concern over the threat posed by terrorist groups and reaffirmed both countries’ shared commitment to tackling these challenges. He emphasised that strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and China is vital for promoting regional stability and combating terrorism.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of providing support or shelter to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has carried out deadly attacks on Pakistani soil. Islamabad views the TTP as a serious national security threat.

Pakistani officials have consistently stated that the future of their relationship with the Taliban depends on the group’s willingness to take concrete action against the TTP and prevent cross-border attacks originating from Afghan territory.

The comments were made during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Sunday.

Muttaqi urged Iranian authorities to carry out deportations in a phased manner while ensuring humane treatment. In response, Araghchi reportedly assured that future deportations would be conducted gradually and with respect for human dignity.

Iranian officials recently announced that nearly 800,000 Afghan nationals have been expelled from the country in recent months. The pace of deportations has escalated significantly, raising concerns among Afghan and international observers.

In addition to the migrant issue, the two sides also discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Muttaqi described the situation in Gaza as dire and called on Islamic countries to fulfil their responsibilities by helping end what he characterised as collective suffering caused by famine and genocide by Israel. He stressed the need for urgent humanitarian intervention.

Araghchi, in turn, called for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss possible solutions to the Gaza crisis.

Since the start of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, approximately 60,000 people have been killed and over 144,000 injured, according to local sources. The conflict has caused extensive destruction and displaced millions.

International humanitarian agencies have warned of widespread famine and indiscriminate civilian casualties. Gaza’s Health Ministry recently reported that more than 125 people, including 85 children, have died as a result of malnutrition.

On Sunday, officers raided the B-17 township, detaining several Afghan families, including women and children.

Residents reported that nearly all Afghan migrants in the area are at constant risk of arrest and deportation due to the lack of valid documentation.

One resident of B-17, using the pseudonym Mursal, told Afghanistan International’s Pashto service that police arrived early in the morning while families were having breakfast. Although officers did not enter her building, she said several families from a nearby block were taken into custody.

A day earlier, other Afghan migrants in Islamabad also reported arrests in the same area. The Afghan Council in Islamabad confirmed that police have detained large numbers of Afghan nationals over the past 11 days, primarily in neighbourhoods with high migrant populations.

Videos circulating on social media show children crying as police detain their mothers and family members. Despite the pleas, officers continued the arrests without interruption.

Refugee Rights Watch called the footage of Afghan women and young girls being detained in Pakistan deeply disturbing and said such treatment violates basic human dignity.

The visa renewal process for Afghan migrants has been suspended for nearly three weeks. Since the halt, police operations targeting undocumented Afghans have escalated significantly.