Afghanistan Peace CampaignLocal officials say that every day, thousands of families are being deported through the Torkham crossing into Afghanistan.
With the launch of the third phase of the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, the process of returning Afghans has intensified.
Local officials say that every day, thousands of families are being deported through the Torkham crossing into Afghanistan.
Habibullah, who owned a hotel in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, now says that after decades of residence, he has lost all his property and business and was forcibly deported along with his family.
He says: “I had my own hotel and business, but the situation reached a point where dignity became the issue, and I lost everything. Both the hotel and the business are gone. We brought some of our belongings, but a lot was left behind. Dignity is important. Only we ourselves made it back.”
Currently, the living conditions for Afghans in Pakistan have become extremely difficult.
Other recently returned migrants also tell stories of sudden police raids, extortion, and forced detentions.
Khalid, one of the deportees, said: “Sometimes they would detain us, and other times they demanded money. We couldn’t go out to the streets or the markets. They had made life miserable for us.”
Umar Gul, another deportee, said: “They forced us a lot. We lived there for 45 years, but we never truly enjoyed life.”
Local officials in Nangarhar say the deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan has accelerated in recent days.
Bakht Jamal Gowhar, head of migrant repatriation at Torkham, said: “The returnees, after receiving assistance from the Islamic Emirate, are being transferred to various provinces of Afghanistan in coordination with partner organizations.”
Meanwhile, Pashtun nationalist parties and former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have called for an end to the forced deportations of Afghans, but the Pakistani government continues the process at an even faster pace.