Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe ministry also reported that over the past two weeks, more than 200 Afghan families have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
The ministry also reported that over the past two weeks, more than 200 Afghan families have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, said about the trilateral meeting: “It has been agreed that a trilateral meeting will be held between the Islamic Emirate, Pakistan, and UNHCR, but the exact date has not yet been determined.”
With the worsening of relations between Kabul and Islamabad, Pakistan has intensified pressure on Afghan refugees. Over the past 14 days, incidents of deportation, arrests, and mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan have increased.
At the same time, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations reported a meeting between officials from the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Pakistan, including the embassy’s refugee affairs attaché, and the Chief of Police in Islamabad. According to a statement from the ministry, the challenges faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan were discussed during this meeting.
Ehsanullah Ahmadzai, a refugee rights activist, told TOLOnews: “The governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan must jointly establish a mechanism to address these issues so that the problems faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan can be resolved quickly.”
On the other hand, some Afghan refugees in Pakistan have complained about the ongoing deportation and arrests of refugees in the country.
Nasir Bayat, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, told TOLOnews: “My request to the government of Pakistan is this: You hosted us for forty years, and now, in these difficult circumstances that we are facing, please do not expel us from here.”
Waheeda Ghulami, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said: “Afghans in Pakistan are facing difficulties due to the non-renewal of their visas. This lack of visa renewals leads to forced deportations by the Pakistani police. We urge the United Nations and human rights organizations to address this issue.”
Following increased tensions and clashes between Pakistan and the Islamic Emirate, Pakistan has accelerated the expulsion of Afghan refugees from the country since the beginning of January.