Afghan refugees suffer ‘like prisoners’ in Pakistan crackdown

Afghan refugees suffer ‘like prisoners’ in Pakistan crackdown
Detained Afghan refugees sit in a bus during a late night search operation by the police personnel to identify allegedly illegal immigrants, in the outskirts of Karachi on November 11, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 02 January 2025
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Afghan refugees suffer ‘like prisoners’ in Pakistan crackdown

Afghan refugees suffer ‘like prisoners’ in Pakistan crackdown
  • Millions of Afghans have traveled to Pakistan over the four decades, fleeing successive conflicts
  • Pakistani officials have blamed these refugees for launching militant attacks, stoking political unrest

ISLAMABAD: The space in which refugee Shaharzad has to live has shrunk to the small courtyard of a guesthouse in Pakistan’s capital, reminiscent of her life under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

She fears being swept up in a wave of anti-Afghan sentiment, including reports of harassment, extortion and arrests by Pakistan authorities who have cracked down on mainly undocumented families living there.

“For Afghans, the situation here is terrible and the behaviour of the Pakistani police is like that of the Taliban,” said Shaharzad, who lives in constant fear of being deported with her children.




Police personnel check the documents of a detained Afghan refugee (R) during a late night search operation to identify allegedly illegal immigrants, in the outskirts of Karachi on November 11, 2023. (AFP/File)

Her son was recently detained while walking in a park, when “the police asked him for money instead of documents,” she said.

The government cited spiking militant attacks claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, for a campaign last summer that evicted some 750,000 Afghans, mostly undocumented.

In recent months, however, Islamabad and the police have also started alleging Afghan involvement in opposition unrest over the imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Afghans who are waiting to be relocated to Western nations say they are being caught up in the political tensions.

“After coming here, we feel like we are out of the frying pan and into the fire,” said Afghan Mustafa, who is waiting with his family for visas to the United States.




Police personnel check documents of Afghan refugees during a search operation to identify alleged illegal immigrants, on the outskirts of Karachi on November 17, 2023. (AFP/File)

The 31-year-old said his family cannot go out freely to buy groceries and medicine for fear of arrest.

“If they know you are an Afghan, whether you have the visa or not, they will arrest you or will extort you,” he said.

More than three years after the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul, the United States and European countries have yet to reopen their embassies there, forcing Afghans to complete their applications from within Pakistan.

Shaharzad was told to travel to Pakistan by a European nation that said it would process her onward visa from the capital Islamabad.




Afghan refugees wave flags of Afghanistan and Pakistan (R) as they travel with their belongings on a truck towards the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border on November 3, 2023, following Pakistan's government decision to expel people illegally staying in the country. For Afghans in limbo as they wait to be relocated, life has become similar to what they left behind in Afghanistan. (AFP/File)

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry called on Western nations in July to expedite the relocation of more than 44,000 Afghans living in Pakistan and awaiting relocation to the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany and Britain.

Millions of Afghans have traveled to Pakistan over the past four decades, fleeing successive conflicts including the Soviet invasion, a civil war and the post-9/11 US-led occupation.

Some 600,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan since the Taliban government took over again in August 2021 and implemented their austere version of Islamic law.

According to UNHCR, Pakistan currently hosts some 1.5 million Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers, alongside more than 1.5 million Afghans of different legal statuses.

A campaign to deport undocumented Afghans was launched as political ties between the neighboring governments frayed and Pakistan’s economic and security woes worsened.

A wave of political protests in the capital in support of jailed former premier Khan last month saw a new spike of about 30 arrests of Afghans, according to officials.

Khan’s heartland is in the ethnic Pashtun belt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shares close cultural and linguistic ties with Afghan Pashtuns.

Muhammad Khan, an Afghan community leader in Islamabad, said the protests were used as a cover to intimidate Afghans.

Clashing with the official account, he claimed close to 200 Afghans were arrested over several days, including during raids on guesthouses.

“Afghan refugees are the sacrificial lambs for Pakistan’s domestic problems and the tensions between the governments in Islamabad and Kabul,” Khan said, denying the involvement of Afghans in Pakistani political activities.

Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Imaan Mazari, a human rights lawyer who defends arrested Afghans in Islamabad courts, said the protests have led to a spike in “racial profiling (of Afghans) in Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” just south of the capital.

The police have been given “a completely free license to pick up whoever they want, extort them (and) exploit them.”

The provincial Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who led the recent protests, said hostility toward Afghans has spread to Pakistani Pashtuns.

In a letter to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, he accused the police of the “arbitrary rounding up” of “Pashtun laborers in Islamabad” and warned that “such actions risk fostering a sense of alienation and exclusion among communities.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was “deeply concerned by the alleged ethnic profiling of ordinary Pashtun citizens” and called on Islamabad police to refrain from actions “that create divisions among various communities living in the country.”

The Afghan embassy in Islamabad has denied any involvement by Afghans in political activities in Pakistan.

“This policy (of blaming the Afghans) brings no benefit to Pakistan and will only deepen the mistrust between the two neighboring countries,” it said in a statement.

For Afghans in limbo as they wait to be relocated, life has become similar to what they left behind in Afghanistan.

“We have become like prisoners, we go out very rarely and only when we really have to,” Mustafa said.


Pakistani Hajj pilgrims praise ‘remarkably smooth’ Makkah Route Initiative immigration process

Pakistani Hajj pilgrims praise ‘remarkably smooth’ Makkah Route Initiative immigration process
Updated 15 sec ago
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Pakistani Hajj pilgrims praise ‘remarkably smooth’ Makkah Route Initiative immigration process

Pakistani Hajj pilgrims praise ‘remarkably smooth’ Makkah Route Initiative immigration process
  • First batch of 900 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Madinah after Pakistan kicked off Hajj operations on Tuesday
  • Makkah Route Initiative allows pilgrims to complete immigration processes at their departure airports

ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims who arrived in Madinah under the Kingdom’s Makkah Route Initiative on Wednesday praised its “remarkably smooth” immigration process, thanking the Saudi government for the facility.
The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the Kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again.
Pakistan kicked off its pre-Hajj flight operations on Tuesday, with the first batch of 900 Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Madinah from Islamabad, Karachi and other cities. Those who arrived from Karachi and Islamabad praised the Makkah Route Initiative for making their travel hassle-free.
“It was remarkably smooth as the Saudi immigration process was completed at Islamabad Airport without the need to wait in long queues,” Tariq Khan, a resident of Pakistan’s northwestern Swabi city, told Arab News over the phone from Madinah.
Around 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims in total from Islamabad and Karachi will travel to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Route Initiative this year.
Khan, who is performing Hajj for the second time since 2016, said the pre-departure immigration process had saved pilgrims’ considerable time.
“The difference was [like] night and day,” Khan, comparing his Hajj journey in 2016 to the present one.
“This time, the process was efficient and stress-free, allowing us to focus on the spiritual aspects of our journey.”

Saudi immigration team member welcomes a Pakistani Hajj pilgrim in a departure lounge at the Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 29, 2025. (SPA)

Upon landing, Khan said pilgrims bypassed the usual immigration queues while buses were waiting to transport them directly to the hotel.
“Our luggage, which had been tagged and processed in Islamabad, arrived at the hotel shortly after we did,” he noted.
Shamim Akhtar, who arrived from Karachi, described the immigration process as “exceptionally well-organized.”
“Dedicated immigration counters at Karachi Airport handled all formalities efficiently and the staff was courteous,” she told Arab News.
“And the entire process was completed swiftly, allowing us to reach the boarding lounge without hassle.”
She thanked the Saudi government for extending the service to Karachi, saying the Makkah Route Initiative significantly reduced the stress and time associated with international traveling during Hajj.

Officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs pose for a group photo with the 45-member Saudi immigration team of the Makkah Route initiative in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 27, 2025. (Photo courtesy: Handout/CAA)

“It’s a commendable effort that enhances the overall pilgrimage experience,” she said.
‘EXCELLENT ARRANGEMENTS’
Osama Anwar, an information technology professional from Pakistan’s eastern city of Rawalpindi, praised the entire Hajj process from submitting the application to the mandatory trainings organized by the government, and the “smooth” travel facilitated under the Makkah Route Initiative.
“Under the Route to Makkah, arrangements were very good and it was a very smooth process at the airport,” he said. 
“It hardly took us just 20 to 25 minutes to reach the hotel from the airport in Saudi Arabia.”
He said pilgrims had been guided thoroughly about the process.
 “Now that we have arrived in Madinah, we found that excellent arrangements have also been made here including good rooms and food arrangements,” Anwar said.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and over 23,620 Pakistanis expected to perform Hajj through private tour operators.


Pakistan inaugurates pavilion at GETEX Dubai 2025 to showcase educational potential 

Pakistan inaugurates pavilion at GETEX Dubai 2025 to showcase educational potential 
Updated 30 April 2025
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Pakistan inaugurates pavilion at GETEX Dubai 2025 to showcase educational potential 

Pakistan inaugurates pavilion at GETEX Dubai 2025 to showcase educational potential 
  • GETEX is considered region’s most established student recruitment platform
  • This year annual event is taking place in Dubai from April 30 to May 2 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Consul General in Dubai Hussain Muhammad inaugurated the country’s first-ever pavilion at the Global Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) 2025 in Dubai on Wednesday to showcase the country’s educational potential, Pakistan’s Consulate General in Dubai said. 

GETEX is considered the region’s most established student recruitment platform. This year it is taking place from April 30 to May 2 at the Dubai World Trade Center.

The pavilion was formally inaugurated by Muhammad alongside Dr. Chaudhry Abdul Rehman, the chairman of the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP). 

“The Global Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) 2025 is currently underway in Dubai, where, for the first time, a dedicated Pakistan Pavilion has been established, marking a significant milestone in the country’s academic outreach on the global stage,” the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai said. 

The statement said Dr. Rehman is leading a 35-member delegation of vice chancellors and senior academic leaders from across Pakistan at the event. 

Muhammad commended the participation of Pakistan’s private universities at GETEX, noting that their presence reflects the country’s growing academic excellence and innovation. 

“He lauded APSUP’s leadership in bringing together a strong delegation and highlighted the importance of showcasing Pakistan’s educational potential in international forums,” the statement said. 

During the exhibition, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan also visited the Pakistan Pavilion. 

“He was warmly received and briefed by Prof. Dr. Rehman and praised the initiative as a valuable step forward in strengthening academic cooperation between the UAE and Pakistan, assuring full support for future engagements,” the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai said. 

Pakistan and the UAE enjoy cordial ties rooted in shared faith and culture. The UAE is home to over a million Pakistani expatriates — the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally — and a major source of remittance inflows to Pakistan.

Policymakers in Islamabad view the UAE as an ideal export destination due to its geographic proximity, which lowers freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.

In recent months, the two countries have signed a series of agreements to boost economic ties.


Pakistan urges US to ask India to ‘act responsibly’ amid threat of war

Pakistan urges US to ask India to ‘act responsibly’ amid threat of war
Updated 30 April 2025
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Pakistan urges US to ask India to ‘act responsibly’ amid threat of war

Pakistan urges US to ask India to ‘act responsibly’ amid threat of war
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss tensions with India
  • Sharif says India’s “deeply worrisome” behavior will distract Pakistan from battling militants based in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impress upon New Delhi to “act responsibly” amid fears of a military confrontation breaking out between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan. 

Tensions have surged between the two countries following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 that New Delhi has said Pakistan was involved in. Islamabad denies the charges and has said it will participate in any credible and transparent investigation of the assault. 

Several countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UK, US and others have called upon both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid a military confrontation. Pakistan has vowed to give a “strong” response to any aggression after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the military freedom to respond to the Kashmir attack during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. 

Sharif received a call from Rubio during which he offered the American official Pakistan’s perspective on the recent developments after the Apr. 22 attack, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

“He [Sharif] categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts,” the PMO said. 

“He urged the US to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.”

Sharif condemned “terrorism” in all its forms and manifestations and underscored Pakistan’s leading role in the “war against terror,” the statement said. 

He described India’s recent behavior as “deeply disappointing and worrisome,” saying it would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat militants, particularly those based in Afghanistan. 

India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over the issue of the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Both countries claim Kashmir in full but administer only parts of it. 

“The Prime Minister emphasized that peaceful resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute was the only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia,” the PMO said. 

On bilateral cooperation, Sharif told Rubio there were several areas where both sides could cooperate. He cited counterterrorism and enhanced economic cooperation, “particularly the minerals sector.”

“Secretary of State Rubio thanked the Prime Minister for the detailed conversation and emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia,” the statement said. 

Earlier on Wednesday, fears of a military conflict were reignited when the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported India had carried out “unprovoked” firing in the Kayani and Mandal sectors of the Line of Control on Tuesday night. 
The LoC runs 742km (460 miles) dividing the parts of Kashmir governed by India and Pakistan, and acts as part of the de facto border between the two countries.
Small arms were used by the Indian forces, prompting Pakistan to respond, PTV said.
“There are also reports that multiple enemy posts were destroyed by the Pakistan Army’s effective response,” PTV said, naming one of them as the Chakpathra post.
Earlier on Wednesday, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported that a “timely” response by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had “forced” four Indian Rafale jets to retreat after payrolling near the two nations’ de facto border. 
“On the night of April 29/30, four Indian Rafale jets conducted patrolling within Indian geographical boundaries” near the LoC, APP reported, saying PAF “immediately” detected the jets. 
“A timely and swift response by the Pakistan Air Force forced four Indian Rafale jets to retreat … The Pakistani armed forces remain fully prepared and alert to give a befitting response to any aggression from India.”


Pakistan says alert armed forces will respond ‘very strongly’ to any Indian escalation

Pakistan says alert armed forces will respond ‘very strongly’ to any Indian escalation
Updated 30 April 2025
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Pakistan says alert armed forces will respond ‘very strongly’ to any Indian escalation

Pakistan says alert armed forces will respond ‘very strongly’ to any Indian escalation
  • Nation will respond to India in a “decisive manner” at time and place of its choosing, says Pakistan deputy premier
  • Fears of military conflict have increased after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for attack in Indian-administered Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar warned India on Wednesday that the country’s armed forces are alert and would respond “very strongly” to any escalation by New Delhi, amid fears of an all-out war breaking out between the nuclear-armed neighbors. 
Tensions have surged between India and Pakistan following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 that New Delhi has said Islamabad was involved in. Pakistan denies the charges and has said it will participate in any credible and transparent investigation of the assault. 
Fears have risen since that India may retaliate by conducting limited airstrikes or special forces raids near the Line of Control (LoC), which runs 742km (460 miles) dividing the parts of Kashmir governed by India and Pakistan and acts as part of the de facto border between the two countries. 
Speaking to reporters at a news conference with Pakistan’s military spokesperson by his side, Dar said the world leaders he has spoken to in the past few days have urged Islamabad to exercise restraint. 
“I have been making it very clear on behalf of our government, on behalf of the nation, Pakistan will not be the first one to resort to any escalatory move,” the deputy prime minister said.
“However, in case of any escalatory move by the Indian side, we will respond very strongly.”

He said Pakistan’s government and armed forces are alert to the possibility of any Indian military aggression.
“We are vigilant, our armed forces are vigilant and the nation will thwart any misadventure responding in a befitting and decisive manner at the time and place of our choosing,” he said. 
Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry agreed with Dar. He said the military is monitoring the situation carefully and that its countermeasures and responses “in all domains are ready.”
“We are ready, do not test it,” Chaudhry warned. 


PAKISTAN SAYS DESTROYED INDIAN POSTS
Fears of a military confrontation between the two sides heightened further after Pakistan’s state media reported on Wednesday that Pakistan army troops responded to “unprovoked” Indian shelling on Tuesday night across the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between the two nations. 
PTV said India had carried out “unprovoked” firing in the Kayani and Mandal sectors of the Line of Control on Tuesday night. Small arms were used by the Indian forces, prompting Pakistan to respond.
“There are also reports that multiple enemy posts were destroyed by the Pakistan Army’s effective response,” PTV said, naming one of them as the Chakpathra post.

Earlier, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had “forced” four Indian Rafale jets to retreat after patrolling near the two nations’ de facto border. 
“On the night of April 29/30, four Indian Rafale jets conducted patrolling within Indian geographical boundaries” near the LoC, APP reported, saying PAF “immediately” detected the jets. 
“A timely and swift response by the Pakistan Air Force forced four Indian Rafale jets to retreat … The Pakistani armed forces remain fully prepared and alert to give a befitting response to any aggression from India.”
Since last Tuesday’s attack, in addition to shooting over the Line of Control frontier, India and Pakistan have announced tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that included the cancelation of visas and a recall of diplomats. 
New Delhi also suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty with Islamabad and ordered its border shut with Pakistan. In response, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
Late on Tuesday night, Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said Pakistan had “credible intelligence” India was planning military action against it in the “next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.”

 


Pakistan among top five nations with most people living in poverty — UN report

Pakistan among top five nations with most people living in poverty — UN report
Updated 30 April 2025
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Pakistan among top five nations with most people living in poverty — UN report

Pakistan among top five nations with most people living in poverty — UN report
  • Around 38.3 percent of Pakistanis live in multidimensional poverty, says United Nations’ annual report on Pakistan
  • Pakistan ranks 142 out of 146 on Global Gender Gap Index, highlighting disparities in women’s and girls’ economic participation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan ranks among the top five countries with the highest number of people living in poverty, the United Nations Development Programme said in its annual report recently, stating that 38.3 percent of the nation’s population experiences multidimensional poverty.
Poverty in Pakistan remains a complex challenge, exacerbated by a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that Islamabad is desperately trying to escape. Poor people in Pakistan have to face challenges in the form of lack of social protection and economic benefits, especially in informal jobs.
“According to the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index, Pakistan is among the five countries with the highest number of people living in poverty,” the UNDP said in its 2024 report on Pakistan, released on March 14.
“Around 38.3 percent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty, while 12.9 percent are vulnerable to falling into this category.”
Multidimensional poverty is a way of measuring poverty beyond income alone. It recognizes that people can experience multiple, overlapping deprivations that affect their well-being and quality of life.
These deprivations can include limited access to basic services such as access to clean water, electricity, health and sanitation facilities. 
Separately, the report ranked Pakistan 142 out of 146 on the Global Gender Gap Index, highlighting significant disparities in economic participation, political representation, and access to opportunities for women and girls.
“Ahead of Pakistan’s general elections, UNDP’s voter education campaign reached 85 million people, including 31 million women,” it added.
“This effort contributed to the registration of over 100,000 new voters, primarily women, raising women’s voter turnout to 43 percent in 2024, up from 39.7 percent in 2018.”
The Index is a benchmark tool developed by the World Economic Forum to measure gender-based disparities across countries. It evaluates how equitably resources and opportunities are distributed between men and women, regardless of overall income levels or development.
Gender disparity is a significant issue in Pakistan, characterized by unequal opportunities, wage gaps and underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making roles. 
Cultural norms and traditional gender roles often limit women’s participation in various sectors mostly dominated by men.