Pakistani Police Have Detained More Than 10,000 Afghan Migrants, Says Taliban
The Taliban’s embassy in Islamabad has claimed that Pakistani police have detained more than 10,000 Afghan migrants amid rising tensions between the two countries.
The Taliban’s embassy in Islamabad has claimed that Pakistani police have detained more than 10,000 Afghan migrants amid rising tensions between the two countries.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Taliban Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib said police have been publicly urging citizens to identify and report Afghans for arrest. He described the situation as “dire,” saying many migrants are living in “extremely difficult conditions.”
Shakib said the crackdown has intensified as all border crossings between the two countries remain closed. Nearly 20 days have passed since the closure of the Torkham and Chaman–Boldak crossings, halting trade, transit and the movement of people entirely, he added.
The Taliban envoy warned that thousands of Afghan refugees are stranded along roadsides without shelter, clean water, food or medicine. He said that in recent days, three children and one woman have died due to harsh conditions.
According to Shakib, Pakistani police have been broadcasting public notices in camps, mosques and marketplaces, urging people to evict Afghans from their homes and shops, report them to authorities, and refrain from renting property to them.
He added that hundreds of trucks carrying Afghan migrants are stuck on the road to Torkham, where women, children and elderly people are suffering from cold weather and a lack of basic necessities. The Taliban embassy accused Pakistani police of harassing migrants and extorting money at checkpoints.
The statement warned that continuing forced deportations while the border crossings remain closed could trigger a major humanitarian crisis.
The embassy urged the Pakistani government to reopen the Torkham, Boldak, Chaman, Angoor Adda, Ghulam Khan and other crossings “to allow Afghan migrants to return home in an orderly and dignified manner.” It said that, until then, deportations should be suspended.
The Pakistani government has not yet responded to the statement. Islamabad has announced plans to expel all undocumented Afghan migrants from the country, citing national security and economic pressures.
Some Pakistani officials, referencing more than four decades of hosting Afghan refugees, have said the country can no longer afford to provide them shelter.
