UN experts urged Pakistan not to proceed with plans to forcibly remove Afghans from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, nor to deport them to Afghanistan.
The experts called on the Government of Pakistan to continue its important role as a neighboring country with a long history of hosting Afghans fleeing their country.
“Millions of Afghans in Pakistan are at risk of being pushed back to Afghanistan without regard for their genuine protection concerns – including gender-based violence and the systemic dismantling of the rights of women and girls – in violation of international human rights law and refugee law, and disregarding UNHCR’s non-return advisory,” the experts said.
Experts said that the most vulnerable groups include women, girls, religious and ethnic minorities, human rights defenders, and journalists.
The experts emphasized the need for individualized assessment of refugee situations.
They also expressed concern over the return of Afghans from other countries, calling it a violation of international law.
According to them, many Afghans who had sought refuge in Pakistan were expecting to be relocated to third countries. However, the sudden halt of resettlement programs has shattered their hopes for a safe future.
The UN experts also warned that the sharp decline in international financial aid has severely weakened the capacity of humanitarian organizations and government agencies in Afghanistan to respond to the wave of returnees.
meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee for Refugees (JAC-R) has strongly condemned the violent and arbitrary arrests of Afghan migrants by police in Karachi, Gujrat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several other regions of Pakistan.
In a statement, the committee said, “These actions are not only illegal but also a grave violation of fundamental human rights and constitutional protections.”
The statement added that Pakistani police forcibly entered workplaces and private homes of migrants, arrested individuals without due legal process, and denied them access to legal counsel.
