Latest News
Fear of deportation turns deadly for Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Fear of arrest and forced deportation is pushing Afghan refugees in Pakistan into life-threatening situations, with women, children and the sick paying the heaviest price, humanitarian groups warn.
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) has shared harrowing accounts of Afghan families too afraid to leave their homes, even for urgent medical care, due to Pakistan’s ongoing deportation drive.
In one recent incident, an Afghan refugee couple knocked on the door of a Pakistani rickshaw driver late on a cold November night, begging for help. The woman was in labor, but the family feared that leaving their home would result in police detention. Despite having no money, the driver agreed to take her to hospital.
“She was screaming all the way,” the driver later told MSF staff in Balochistan province. “She gave birth in my rickshaw. It was full of blood. I cannot describe it in words. It broke me mentally.”
The mother and newborn survived after receiving care at an MSF facility, but aid workers say such cases are becoming increasingly common as Afghan refugees face serious barriers to accessing health services.
According to MSF, mass deportations have turned into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Afghan refugees are being held in temporary camps with little or no access to shelter, clean water, sanitation, food, or health care. With winter temperatures dropping sharply, fear of arrest is preventing many from seeking treatment, leading to miscarriages, untreated illnesses and preventable deaths.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the late 1970s. However, since November 2023, the government has implemented the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, initially targeting undocumented Afghans before expanding to Afghan Citizen Card holders and, more recently, those with UN-issued proof of registration cards.
Deportations surged again from September 2025, coinciding with winter, and are now affecting Afghans regardless of legal status.
MSF has reported tragic cases, including the death of a five-month-old baby who spent the night in freezing conditions at a holding center before reaching medical care, and the case of a woman who died after delivering a stillborn baby in a camp with no basic facilities. Her family was deported to Afghanistan shortly after—along with her body.
“Lives are at stake,” said Xu Weibing, MSF’s head of mission in Pakistan. “Afghan families are being forced to choose between living in fear of deportation and danger upon return. Safety, dignity and humanity are not optional.”
Aid organizations are urging Pakistan to halt forced returns and calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian assistance, provide winter shelter, health care and protection, and find safe relocation options for the most vulnerable.
Latest News
Afghan student found dead in India
The body of an Afghan student was discovered late Saturday night in his apartment in Gujarat state, India.
The student, Bainullah Ziya, 34, was studying for a PhD at the Department of Architecture at MS University and was living in a residential apartment in the Fatehgunj area, Vadodara city, Times of India reported.
Indian police said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Officials suspect suicide, but the reasons behind the alleged act are still unknown.
Sayajigunj police said they are also examining Ziya’s mobile phone to gather clues about the incident.
Friends of Ziya said they had knocked on his apartment door on Saturday but received no response. When the police opened the door, they found his body lying inside the room.
Ziya had been living in Vadodara for the past two years while pursuing his studies in architecture.
Local authorities said the investigation into the exact cause of death is ongoing, and final results will be shared after completion of the legal process.
Latest News
IEA’s Supreme Leader issues decree on jurisdiction of specialized court for usurped lands
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has issued a decree clarifying the exclusive jurisdiction of the specialized court for usurped lands.
The decree emphasizes that no other government ministries or departments are authorized to handle cases related to usurped lands.
According to Article One of the decree, all matters involving usurped lands, public grazing lands, and waqf lands (charitable endowment land) fall solely under the specialized court’s authority. Other government departments are explicitly barred from intervening in such cases.
Article Two outlines the procedure for citizens who have complaints regarding the Commission for the Prevention of Land Usurpation and Recovery, or the technical committees responsible for identifying and verifying usurped lands. Individuals may submit their complaints in writing directly to the specialized court for resolution.
The decree also prohibits ministries and other government departments from receiving complaints or requesting information from the Commission or provincial technical committees. Any attempts by these departments to intervene after the decree’s issuance will be considered unauthorized.
Latest News
KP chief minister questions Pakistan’s claims of militants operating from Afghanistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has questioned the Pakistani government’s claim that militants are using Afghan soil to carry out attacks against Pakistan, calling for evidence to support the allegation.
Afridi said that if militants were indeed operating from Afghanistan, it was unclear why other neighboring countries of Afghanistan were not raising similar complaints. He argued that such claims should be backed by clear and verifiable proof.
The chief minister also pointed to the extensive resources spent on fencing the Durand Line, noting that authorities had repeatedly assured the public that the barrier would prevent militants from crossing into Pakistan.
His remarks come amid renewed tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan frequently accusing militant groups of launching attacks from across the border—allegations that Afghanistan’s authorities have repeatedly denied.
-
Latest News5 days agoTurkey withdraws from Afghanistan-Pakistan mediation amid rising tensions
-
Latest News3 days agoICG report says Pakistan most impacted by IEA’s return in Afghanistan
-
Latest News5 days agoPakistan says diplomatic channels with Afghanistan open, seeks written assurances against terrorism
-
Business5 days agoAir cargo seen as key to boosting Indo-Afghan trade via Amritsar airport
-
Business4 days agoPakistan–Afghanistan bilateral trade plunges 53% in first half of fiscal year
-
Latest News3 days agoHealth Ministry holds meeting on halting medicine imports from Pakistan
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan climbs FIFA rankings ahead of AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan announce under-19 squad for 2026 World Cup
