Pakistan has released 460 Afghan prisoners in the past week and handed them over to the Islamic Emirate through the Torkham crossing.
According to local officials in Nangarhar, most of these individuals had been arrested by Pakistani police in Islamabad and other cities, and had spent between five days to one year in Pakistani prisons.
Bakht Jamal Gohar, the official responsible for the transfer of migrants at the Torkham crossing, said: “Last week, 460 prisoners were handed over to us from Pakistan. These individuals had been detained in Islamabad and several other cities. Their detention periods ranged from five days to one year. Among them were many women and children, and a large number of them possessed legal residency documents.”
At the same time, some individuals who held legal residency cards have also complained about mistreatment by Pakistani police.
Mohammad Yaseen, a recently released detainee, said: “I had a P.O.R. card with me. They took it, saying they would return it. I was detained for three nights, fingerprinted, and then deported.”
Tajuddin, another Afghan released from a Pakistani prison, said: “They took me to the police station. I stayed there for five days and nights, and then spent six days in the Haji camp. There was barely any food, if they gave breakfast, there was no lunch; if there was lunch, then nothing for dinner.”
Ziarat Gul, a 40-year-old resident of Kunar province, was recently handed over to the Islamic Emirate at Torkham. He said he was on his way to a mosque for prayer when he was arrested by Pakistani police.
“That day, I was heading to the mosque when they arrested me. They took the cash I had as well. I spent three days in a camp and was then returned via Torkham,” he said.
Meanwhile, the deportation of Afghan migrants from both Iran and Pakistan has surged to an unprecedented level this month, with thousands being sent back daily through the Islam Qala and Torkham crossings.
