The deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan back to Afghanistan, as per a government directive is causing untold suffering and miseries to the Afghans living in Pakistan for the last 20 years or so. It seems that the decision is based on financial woes currently faced by Pakistan yet it involves other elements too.

For the last two months the international attention has been focussed on the continuing Gaza crisis, yet in its background another human tragedy has been unfolding in Pakistan, noticed by few except the humanitarian agencies.

Reportedly, more than 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since 1 October, after Pakistan vowed to expel more than a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans.

However, in a significant ruling the Supreme Court of Pakistan observed on 2 December 2023, that Pakistan is a signatory to United Nations’ conventions safeguarding the rights of refugees and these agreements bind Pakistan.

Earlier, an apex committee, chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister AnwaarulHaqKakar, on 3 October 2023 had issued a deadline for foreign nationals to depart voluntarily or risk deportation by Pakistan by 31 October.

Reportedly, this was to affect some 1.7 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan but also members of other persecuted communities including China’s Uyghurs and Myanmar’s Rohingyas.

While the majority of the over 4 million Afghans living in Pakistan has been in the country since the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, between 600,000 and 800,000 Afghans are believed to have arrived in Pakistan after the Taliban 2.0 took over power in 2021.

Pakistani Crackdown

As per media........

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