Kabul: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Refugees in Pakistan, an advocacy group based in Karachi and Islamabad working for the rights of Afghan Refugees, has claimed that at least 190 Afghan refugees have been illegally arrested and detained in the Pakistani capital and Rawalpindi.
Condemning Pakistani security agencies severely and terming their action as a gross violation of fundamental rights, the JAC highlighted the continuous harassment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and demanded an immediate release of all people who have been wrongly arrested.
The group stated that the police authorities are arresting refugees despite the March 31 deadline given by the Pakistani government and regardless of whether the Afghans possess a Proof of Registration (PoR), an Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), or a valid visa.
The committee claimed that around 190 Afghans are being kept in Islamabad’s Haji Camp. Around 60 to 70 Afghans are currently detained at the PirWadhai police station and orders have been issued to the Waris Khan, Bani Gala, Saddar, Cantt, City, Civil Lines, and Naseerabad police stations to arrest Afghans, with or without valid documents.
The civil society alliance demanded that the authorities should stop racial profiling and the arbitrary arrests of Afghans. The UN Charter, Pakistani law, and recent orders by the Islamabad High Court prohibit the executive from arresting or deporting refugees, it mentioned in a statement.
Earlier this month, a coalition of human rights organisations and refugee advocacy groups wrote an ‘open letter’ to the Pakistani government asking it to immediately halt the forced deportation of Afghan migrants. The letter stated that the policy violates international law and Pakistan’s commitments to refugee protection. The organisation also raised concerns about the actions of Pakistani Police, who have detained several human rights activists and also deported children without families or legal guardians.
Mohammad Khan Talebi Mohammadzai, a refugee rights activist, stated, “The situation of Afghan refugees in host countries, especially Pakistan, is extremely concerning. The current Afghan government, the United Nations, and international aid organizations must address the conditions of Afghan refugees in these countries”.
Several incidents have been reported by the Afghan media that highlight the plight of Afghan migrants, including hundreds of women and children, as they are being arrested by police in various Pakistani cities and deported forcibly. Fleeing from war and conflict in their country, migrants from Afghanistan have been taking refuge in Pakistan for decades now.
(IANS)
