Pakistan Deports Over 5,000 Afghan Migrants In One Day

The Taliban’s high commission for migrants says Pakistan deported at least 5,178 Afghan nationals on Friday, May 1, returning them via the Torkham Border Crossing and Spin Boldak crossings.

The Taliban’s high commission for migrants says Pakistan deported at least 5,178 Afghan nationals on Friday, May 1, returning them via the Torkham Border Crossing and Spin Boldak crossings.
In a statement, the commission said that of those returned, 1,033 had been transferred from Kabul to various provinces across Afghanistan.
The detention and deportation of Afghan migrants from cities across Pakistan has recently intensified.
Reuters previously reported that hundreds of vehicles carrying Afghan migrants had been stranded near the Torkham crossing due to ongoing tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Afghan migrants, including women and children, have been waiting for several days to cross the border.
Since 2023, Pakistan has deported more than two million Afghan migrants out of an estimated three million. Many are second- and third-generation refugees whose families had settled in Pakistan decades ago.

Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, accused the Afghan Taliban of deliberately targeting civilians in border districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling the attacks “inhumane”.
Writing on X on Friday, May 1, Tarar said Taliban attacks on civilian areas reflected weakness and poor moral standards within the group’s leadership.
Without specifying the exact timing, he said local officials in Bajaur reported that at least 12 civilians, including six women and children, were killed and 12 others injured in attacks by the Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP).
His remarks come as Taliban officials have repeatedly accused the Pakistani military of targeting civilians inside Afghanistan.
Tarar rejected those allegations as baseless and misleading, insisting that Pakistan’s operations target only the infrastructure and hideouts of what he described as terrorist groups.
The Taliban have seized the Kabul home of Fawzia Koofi, a former member of parliament and prominent critic of the group, and detained three of her relatives, sources told Afghanistan International.
According to the sources, Taliban members have taken up residence in the property.
They said several women living in the house were initially detained and told they were being investigated over alleged links and cooperation with Koofi.
The relatives have reportedly been held in Taliban custody for the past four days.
Koofi has in recent years been an outspoken advocate on human rights, political and social freedoms, and the situation of women in Afghanistan, frequently criticising the Taliban.
The move is seen as part of a broader pattern of pressure on critics. Previously, the homes of other political figures, including Mohammad Mohaqiq, have also been seized.
Observers say such actions reflect a growing effort by the Taliban to silence dissent.
In recent days, some political figures, including women, have criticised Koofi over reports that members of her family continue to travel to Kabul.
Afghanistan International sought comment from Koofi but did not receive a response.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has called for urgent measures to prevent further deterioration of Afghanistan’s economic situation, warning the country remains in a critical phase.
Tariq Ali Bakhit made the remarks at a meeting of the Afghanistan Coordination Group in Istanbul, stressing the need for sustained international attention and immediate action to reduce humanitarian suffering and support economic stability.
In a statement on Friday, the OIC said Bakhit emphasised the importance of continuing humanitarian assistance, particularly in the areas of food security and healthcare.
The United Nations had earlier announced the holding of the coordination group meeting in Istanbul, where participants reaffirmed their support for the Afghan people.
Bakhit highlighted the need to create alternative livelihoods to support vulnerable families and prevent further economic decline.
He also underlined the importance of easing banking restrictions in a co-ordinated manner to facilitate the flow of aid and financial transactions in Afghanistan.
Bakhit described the role of OIC-affiliated and partner institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Organisation for Food Security and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, as vital in supporting emergency programmes.
He said improved cooperation among these bodies could help address funding challenges and improve the implementation of urgent projects.
Bakhit also reaffirmed the OIC’s commitment to continued constructive dialogue and close cooperation with international partners to promote stability in Afghanistan.
Shapour Hassanzoy says his daughters have been “Kidnapped” in Kabul and that Taliban police have taken no action, warning he will protest over what he called security forces’ inaction.
Hassanzoy has urged the Taliban police command in Kabul to take serious action in the case.
He did not specify when his daughters were abducted in the video.
This is not the first time the former MP has clashed with Taliban authorities.
Last week, Hassanzoy posted a video on Facebook saying he had been detained, claiming his arrest was a Taliban “plot”, though he did not provide further details.
In response, Khalid Zadran said Hassanzoy had been detained following a complaint filed by his wife.
International Committee of the Red Cross says tens of thousands faced food shortages after Taliban-Pakistan tensions in February and a two-month road closure cut off access to supplies.
According to a report published on Thursday, April 30, around 136,000 people in Kamdesh and Barg-e-Matal districts of Nuristan province faced severe food insecurity and lack of access to basic services.
The organisation said emergency relief operations for 17,000 affected families began after extensive negotiations with the parties involved.
The report noted that Kamdesh and Barg-e-Matal were left in complete isolation due to hostilities between the Taliban and Pakistan.
According to the data, about 17,000 families, equivalent to 136,000 people, were directly affected by the situation.
The ICRC said it had engaged in intensive talks since early April with all parties to the conflict to secure guarantees for safe passage of aid convoys and the delivery of impartial assistance.
Observers say Taliban policies, including increasing restrictions on female aid workers and strict social controls, have worsened humanitarian crises in remote parts of Afghanistan.