Pakistan Increases Deportation Of Afghans, Says Human Rights Watch

In a new report, Human Rights Watch said the crackdown intensified following border tensions with the Taliban. Fereshta Abbasi urged Pakistan to halt forced returns and act against abusive police behaviour.

The report says thousands of vulnerable Afghans, including children, face barriers to healthcare, education and essential services.

Abbasi said Pakistani authorities are creating fear among Afghan refugees, many of whom face harsh and degrading treatment by police.

The organisation said police have arrested Afghans even when they hold valid visas and noted that Pakistan has halted extensions of PoR cards and other residency documents since 2023.

According to the report, more than 146,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan in 2026 alone.

Based on interviews with Afghan migrants, the report says Pakistani police detain Afghans during daily activities such as shopping, attending school or seeking work, often confiscating phones and cash.

It also alleges that police demand bribes for release, which many cannot afford.

Human Rights Watch said many deportees are journalists, activists and human rights defenders who could face serious risks if returned to Afghanistan.

Citing Reporters Without Borders, the report said at least nine Afghan journalists, including some with valid visas, have been forcibly returned since the start of 2026.

The organisation warned that forced deportations may violate Pakistan’s obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture and the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face serious harm.

It called for an immediate halt to deportations and urged other countries to raise concerns with Pakistan and condemn ongoing human rights violations by the Taliban.

Thousands In Nuristan Deprived Of Basic Needs For Six Weeks, Says Red Cross

Apr 21, 2026, 11:11 GMT+1

The International Committee of the Red Cross says thousands in Nuristan have gone without food, healthcare and basic services for more than six weeks due to fighting, as aid deliveries begin.

The ICRC said the assistance is being delivered in coordination with the Afghan Red Crescent Society and the World Food Programme, and is expected to reach about 136,000 people, including nearly 17,000 families, in Kamdesh and Barg Matal districts.

The organisation said it has been in contact with all parties since the fighting began to ensure safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid.

It added that after initial deliveries of food and essential supplies, the transfer of patients for treatment has resumed and access to healthcare is gradually improving in affected areas.

The ICRC also called on all sides to guarantee safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to vulnerable communities and allow essential assistance to reach those in need.

The route from Barikot village in Nari district of Kunar to Kamdesh and Barg Matal in Nuristan had been closed due to Pakistani forces’ shelling.

Tribal elders in Nuristan and Pakistan’s Chitral district had earlier said they had reached an agreement to reopen the routes connecting Kamdesh and Barg Matal.

Taliban Flogs Two People In Public In Maidan Wardak

Apr 20, 2026, 09:05 GMT+1

The Taliban’s Supreme Court said two people were flogged in public in Maidan Wardak, receiving 39 lashes each on theft charges.

In a statement, the court said the punishments were carried out on Sunday, April 19, in Chak district. The two individuals were also sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly called on the Taliban to halt punishments such as flogging, amputations and executions.

Taliban officials, however, say they are enforcing Islamic law and have urged countries and international organisations not to interfere in their affairs.

Taliban Flogs 42 People In Jawzjan, Farah & Balkh

Apr 18, 2026, 16:30 GMT+1

The Taliban’s Supreme Court said 42 people were flogged across three provinces on charges including same-sex relations, alcohol offences and extramarital affairs.

In separate statements on Saturday, April 18, the court said 14 people were punished in Bala Buluk district of Farah, 27 in Sheberghan city of Jawzjan, and one in Balkh.

Those punished received between 20 and 39 lashes.

According to the statement, a primary Taliban court in Balkh also sentenced one individual to two years of enforced imprisonment on charges of extramarital relations. The punishment was carried out in public in the presence of local officials.

Findings by Afghanistan International show that since late-March, the Taliban have flogged at least 149 people across the country on various charges.

Despite opposition from international organisations to torture and corporal punishment, the Taliban have continued to carry out public floggings.

Taliban Flogs 14 People In Farah Province

Apr 18, 2026, 13:23 GMT+1

The Taliban’s Supreme Court said 14 people were flogged in Farah province on charges of same-sex relations, receiving between 20 and 30 lashes.

In a statement on Saturday, April 18, the court said the punishments were carried out in Bala Buluk district.

In previous statements, the court often announced prison sentences alongside flogging, but this time only corporal punishment was mentioned.

Despite opposition from international organisations to torture and corporal punishment, the Taliban have continued to carry out public floggings.

The group describes such punishments for those convicted by its courts as the enforcement of “Islamic law”.

UK Envoy Urges Taliban To Repeal Controversial Penal Code

Apr 18, 2026, 11:13 GMT+1

The UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan says the Taliban’s panel code should be repealed, echoing UN concerns that it undermines human rights protections in the country.

Richard Lindsay, sharing a post of Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, on social platform X said that human rights must be upheld for all Afghan citizens.

Lindsay wrote that the concerns raised by UN experts about the decree are serious.

UN experts say Decree No. 12, issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, contradicts Afghanistan’s international obligations on human rights, judicial independence and fair trials.

The decree, titled “Criminal Principles for Courts”, was signed in early January and came into force days later.

Richard Bennett had earlier said on X that the decree could further erode human rights protections in Afghanistan and should therefore be withdrawn.

UN experts say the text was issued without a clear legislative process, makes no reference to Afghanistan’s constitution, and lacks transparency about how it was approved.

Much of the concern centers on provisions relating to women.

According to UN experts, Article 32 of the decree states that violence against women is punishable only if it results in fractures, wounds or visible bruising. Even then, the woman must prove her claim in court, and punishment for the husband is limited to 15 days in prison.

Article 34 allows a husband to punish his wife if she leaves home without his permission or without what the text calls a “religious justification”. It also provides for up to three months’ imprisonment for her relatives if they fail to return her to her husband following a court order.

The decree has faced widespread criticism since its early weeks.

Human rights organisations say it legitimises violence against women and children and criminalises criticism of Taliban leadership and policies.

In response, the Taliban’s justice ministry has said that opposing the group’s laws amounts to opposing Islamic law and is considered a crime.

•