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Afghan embassy in Islamabad slams Pakistan for forced deportation of Afghans

This week the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that over 18,000 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi last month.

Published

10 months ago

February 19, 2025

Ariana News

Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad said on Wednesday that Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have recently been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the embassy, this process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad through any formal correspondence.

“In response, the Embassy has held multiple meetings with relevant Pakistani authorities and officials to seek clarification on the matter — whether these actions are isolated incidents that need to be stopped or part of an official policy that should be publicly disclosed,” the statement read.

The statement noted that discussions with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that they were unaware of the ongoing situation.

However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now confirmed that there is “a definitive and final plan to deport/remove all Afghan refugees not only from Islamabad and Rawalpindi but also from the entire country in the near future,” the embassy stated.

Pakistan officials told Afghanistan’s embassy officials that this decision was official and only Afghans who are in possession of valid, legal, visas will be allowed to reside in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The embassy went on to state that Pakistan has decided to remove all Afghan refugees, including those holding ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) and PoR (Proof of Registration) cards, from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and that their expulsion from the country is imminent.

Embassy officials have meanwhile expressed serious concerns in meetings with Pakistani authorities and international organizations regarding the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees within such a short timeframe and the unilateral nature of Pakistan’s decision.

The Embassy has shared this matter with Kabul to facilitate discussions on the dignified repatriation of Afghan nationals and to assess the existing challenges surrounding this issue.

This week the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that over 18,000 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi last month.

According to the organization, 9,846 Afghan returnees were identified through border crossing points of Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan, Badini, and Bahramcha.

Since September 15, 2023, at least 824,568 individuals have returned to Afghanistan while two percent (18,577) of this total has returned since January 2025, the IOM said.

According to the report, the fear of arrest (78 percent) and inability to pay house rent (34 percent) are the most common reasons for the return cited among the heads of households returning to Afghanistan.

The IOM also stated that both the fear of arrest and communal pressure to return increased in the past two weeks.

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Medvedev: IEA posed less threat to Russia than western-backed groups

He added that such organisations have consistently pursued one objective: “to break apart the multiethnic people of Russia.”

Published

13 minutes ago

December 25, 2025

Ariana News

Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) caused less harm to Russia than Western-backed civic organisations that, he claims, sought to undermine the country’s unity.

In an article published in the Russian journal Rodina, Medvedev wrote that while the IEA had long been designated as a terrorist organisation, its actions did not inflict the same level of damage on Russia as what he described as Western-supported institutions operating under the banner of academic or humanitarian work.

“Let us be honest: the Taliban (IEA) movement, long listed as a terrorist organisation, has caused modern Russia far less damage than all those pseudo-scientific institutions whose aim is to dismantle our country under the guise of aiding the oppressed,” Medvedev stated.

He added that such organisations have consistently pursued one objective: “to break apart the multiethnic people of Russia.”

Medvedev’s remarks come amid a shift in Russia’s official stance toward Afghanistan. In April, Russia’s Supreme Court suspended the ban on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which had previously been included on the country’s list of terrorist organisations.

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U.S. National Guard shooting suspect faces new charges, possible death penalty

Published

24 minutes ago

December 25, 2025

Ariana News

The Afghan national accused of shooting two U.S. National Guard members in Washington, D.C., is facing new federal charges that could allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty, authorities said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced that Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been charged with transporting a firearm and a stolen weapon in interstate commerce with intent to commit a serious crime, Fox News reported on Wednesday. One Guard member, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, was killed in the November 26 attack, while Andrew Wolfe was seriously injured.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said moving the case from Superior Court to federal court allows for a careful review of whether the death penalty is warranted. She noted the impact on Beckstrom’s family and said Wolfe faces a lengthy recovery.

Lakanwal remains charged under D.C. law with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill and multiple firearms offenses. An FBI affidavit states the revolver used in the shooting was stolen from a Seattle home in May 2023 and later given to Lakanwal in Washington state, where he also purchased additional ammunition.

Investigators say Lakanwal searched locations in Washington, D.C., including the White House, shortly after buying the ammunition. The shooting occurred near the White House on November 26, according to court records.

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Omari and Iranian ambassador meet to strengthen Afghan migrant labor ties

Published

17 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Ariana News

Abdul Manan Omari, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, met on Wednesday with Alireza Bikdeli, Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, to discuss the development of bilateral labor cooperation, the legal deployment of Afghan workers to Iran, better regulation of the labor force, expansion of joint cooperation, and in particular a review of the situation of Afghan migrants.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Omari said during the meeting in Kabul that facilitation should be provided in the process of issuing legal work permits for Afghan migrants; cooperation should take place in expanding technical and vocational training programs in Afghanistan in both quantitative and qualitative terms; joint technical and vocational programs should be implemented with proper coordination; and all rights of Afghan workers in Iran should be guaranteed and ensured.

He added that this includes the fair payment of wages, the provision of a healthy and safe working environment, and the establishment of a joint commission to address labor disputes, so that the problems of Afghan workers both residents and newly arrived can be resolved effectively.

Omari also emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is keen to reach a mutual understanding with Iran regarding the organized, legal, and beneficial transfer of skilled and specialized workers, the protection of their rights in that country, and the enhancement of professional capacities, thereby facilitating labor exchange between the two countries.

During the meeting, Bikdeli stated that Iran is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan through the implementation of joint projects in the areas of organized migrant transfer and social support for them.

“We believe that cooperation with Afghanistan is not only a humanitarian responsibility but also an urgent necessity for regional stability,” he said.

He stated: “We are interested in labor exchange with Afghanistan and prefer to create opportunities for skilled Afghan workers in the Iranian labor market and for skilled Iranian workers in the Afghan labor market.”

He assured the IEA that Iran’s sustainable cooperation with Afghanistan will continue and emphasized the expansion of historical, cultural, and religious ties between the two countries.

Both sides pledged to continue their joint cooperation in creating job opportunities, expanding the labor market, enhancing technical and vocational training, and regulating matters related to migrants.