Afghan refugees in Pakistan say police harassment, arrests have increased after border clashes

Kabul: Afghan refugees in Pakistan have said that police harassment, arrests and evictions have increased after escalating border tensions between the two nations, causing fear and uncertainty among thousands of displaced families.

Afghan refugees expressed their concerns after a series of clashes and airstrikes in recent days.

Speaking to Radio Azadi, Rahimullah, a former Afghan army officer living in Rawalpindi with his family, said that life has become difficult after clashes erupted between forces of two nations at the border. He said police in Pakistan has warned property owners not to rent houses to Afghans without valid visas, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported on Wednesday.

“Last night my landlord told me to vacate the house because we don’t have visas.” Ramiullah said, “Police patrols have increased, and landlords are forcing Afghans out everywhere.”

Videos that have surfaced on social media, reportedly from Quetta, show Pakistani police personnel deploying trucks to arrest Afghan migrants. Residents in Hazara Town said that police were carrying out door-to-door searches, inspecting shops and homes and arresting people who do not have proper documents.

Tayeba Hussaini, a resident of Quetta, said the situation was “worse than what is seen online.” She said that authorities had blocked roads and were arresting any person who is suspected of being an undocumented Afghan, Khaama Press reported, citing Radio Azadi.

Afghan refugees have requested Pakistani authorities and the United Nations to stop the pressure and extend their visa. Many feared about deportation or detention if they do not present valid documents.

The crackdown on Afghan refugees comes after clashes erupted between two nations at the border and Pakistani airstrikes in Paktita and Kabul provinces. Pakistani authorities have warned of taking legal action against Afghan refugees found living illegally in the country.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the “situation in Afghanistan has changed” and stressed that Afghan refugees’ stay in the country “must come to an end.” Last week, Pakistani government announced the closure of 10 Afghan refugee camps and ordered moving their assets to state control.

Kabul has, meanwhile, also repeatedly rejected requests of Pakistani ministers and military leadership to visit Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, leading Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported that Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, head of intelligence Asim Malik, and two other Army Generals submitted separate requests for visas to travel to Afghanistan, all of which were denied.

On Wednesday, Taliban said that at least 12 people were killed and over 100 others were injured in a Pakistani military strike on Spin Boldak district in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday. In a statement shared on X, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistani forces launched an attack on the border district early morning using light and heavy weapons.

“Unfortunately, this morning, Pakistani forces once again launched attacks with light and heavy weapons on Afghanistan in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, as a result of which more than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured. After that, Afghan forces were forced to take retaliatory action,” Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X.

“In retaliatory operations, multiple Pakistani aggressor soldiers were killed, their posts and centres were captured, weapons and tanks fell into the hands of Afghan forces, and most of their military installations were destroyed. However, the mujahideen, with high spirits, are ready to defend their homeland, sanctuaries, and people,” he added.

IANS