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Rights watchdog calls on Pakistan to stop arresting Afghan refugees
The Government of Pakistan must urgently stop arbitrarily arresting and harassing Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, Amnesty International said on Tuesday – on World Refugee Day.
The human rights group said in a report that in recent years, Afghans in Pakistan have been subjected to waves of arbitrary detentions, arrests, and the threat of deportation. Because of considerable delays in the registration process, most do not hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, the identity document entitling Afghan refugees to remain regularly in Pakistan. Many arrived in Pakistan with regular visas, which have since expired.
“It is deeply concerning that the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is not receiving due international attention. Being unable to return home or stay permanently in Pakistan, they are caught in an impossible situation from which there is no escape. Their ambiguous legal status and arduous processes for asylum or third country relocation have made them even more vulnerable,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia.
Afghans seeking asylum must also endure a prolonged process when trying to obtain proof of registration from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Combined with lengthy visa renewals from the Pakistani government, these delays are making it easier for the police to harass them and for other authorities to extort money from them — practices that have been reported across Pakistan, including in Sindh, Karachi, Peshawar, Chaman, and Quetta, among others.
Afghans without documents to prove their legal status are unable to secure formal employment and often end up working in low-wage jobs where they are vulnerable to exploitation.
Without a PoR card or visa, it is also difficult to get SIM cards or set up bank accounts, which prevents Afghans from receiving money from their relatives. Landlords also take advantage of their lack of proof of regular status.
Many of the recent arrivals must travel to the border and officially leave Pakistan in order to renew their visas, which can prove both costly and dangerous. Two interviewees said border guards demanded bribes before allowing them to cross the border, even though they possessed valid visas.
“Amnesty International is calling on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to expedite registration and reviews of applications from Afghans seeking refugee status in Pakistan, on the Government of Pakistan to stop arbitrarily arresting and harassing Afghan refugees and on third countries offering relocation to Afghans abroad to expedite the issuance of visas,” Dinushika Dissanayake said.
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US partners in Afghanistan mobilizing emergency aid for flood victims: Thomas West
Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, said Monday the United States is deeply saddened by the devastating floods in different parts of the country and that its partners in the country are mobilizing emergency aid, including food and water.
Karen Decker, the US Embassy’s charge d’affaires for Afghanistan, also posted a message on X and said the US is heartbroken by loss of life in Baghlan and elsewhere in Afghanistan after heavy rains and flash floods.
“The United States joins others in mobilizing emergency relief, food, and medical supplies through partners to support recovery efforts,” Decker said.
The occurrence of devastating floods in several provinces of the country, especially in Baghlan, has caused casualties and huge financial losses to local residents.
Based on the latest statistics, more than 300 people have died in two districts of Baghlan.
A large number of aid organizations, including the European Union’s Office for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, OCHA, the International Organization for Migration and the World Health Organization, are providing assistance to the flood victims.
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Deputy PM Baradar visits flood-affected areas in Baghlan province
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Economic Deputy Prime Minister, visited flood-hit areas in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan on Monday to assess the devastation inflicted on the area.
After visiting the affected areas, Baradar met with local officials and gave instructions to them and representatives of working committees to provide the necessary assistance to the flood victims.
Baradar meanwhile pointed out that extreme damage had been caused in the flood-hit districts.
“It is necessary that the [disaster management] organization accelerates its efforts to provide food, medicine and shelter for the displaced citizens and aid to the flood affected areas,” said Baradar.
Baghlan and other northern provinces were hit by heavy rains and flash floods on Friday, which left more than 300 dead and over 1,600 injured.
Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed and livestock wiped out.
Officials said huge financial losses have been incurred.
Appeals have been made by numerous organizations to aid agencies to step in to help the victims.
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Minister of Hajj meets with Turkish President Erdoğan
The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate says that the acting minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs met with the President of Turkey at a consultative meeting of scholars from the Islamic world.
Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X that Noor Mohammad Saqib, Acting Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, met and talked separately with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, at the meeting.
Mujahid added that during the meeting, Erdoğan expressed his satisfaction over the security and the current situation in Afghanistan.
Mujahid quoted Saqib as having thanked Erdoğan for hosting the meeting and said: “Afghanistan wants good and advanced relations with the brother country of Turkey.”
According to Mujahid, Saqib added that the Islamic world, especially Afghanistan, expects the Erdoğan to play an important role in solving the problems of the Islamic Ummah.
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