2023-12-05 20:00:00
As wars and civil strife become commonplace on the heels of political interests, refugee issues are drawing particular attention around the world. When refugees are formed as a consequence of political conflicts, they become a question mark before the world conscience. Refugee issues are active not only in faraway countries but also in our immediate vicinity. An example is the crisis faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan are suffering a lot. According to a recent order issued by the Pakistani government, anyone who remains in the country without documents will be arrested at any time and transferred to a deportation center. Following this, it can be seen that there are inhuman interventions on the part of the authorities against the Afghan refugees. Even after visa procedures and registration, the number of people in detention is increasing. The government has already ordered 17 lakh Afghan refugees to leave Pakistan.
Pakistan has an agreement with Afghanistan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the safe return of refugees. Therefore, returning refugees is illegal. Even though Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Refugee Protocol, it is not allowed to return those who have sought asylum due to persecution from their own country.
Even those who have been staying in Pakistan for decades have been asked to leave the country. Such a directive has been issued by the military-backed interim government. The eviction proceedings were postponed to November 1. Judicial inquiry is no longer necessary. Officials can directly apprehend and deport refugees. Lawyers no longer have the right to advocate for them.
It is believed that such a move is to put pressure on the Taliban leadership, which does not agree with the military interests of the Pakistani government. Pakistan believes that the return of the refugees will draw the Afghan government’s attention to them and strain the country’s resources. The main reason for angering Pakistan is the Taliban regime’s soft approach towards the US, Middle Eastern countries and India. At the same time, the Middle Eastern countries do not see the Afghan refugee problem as a matter of urgent importance.
Pashtun factions such as PTM, ANP and NDM protested against the inhumane treatment of Afghan refugees. Recently, a case was registered against such organizations. After the Taliban captured Kabul, Pakistan even stopped issuing cards to refugees. Only invalid token cards were issued later. The social media accounts of civil servants who look after the affairs of refugees were controlled. 50 prisons have already been built across Pakistan. The number of these is going to increase. Journalists and lawyers are not allowed into such centers. The Sindh High Court recently said that fundamental rights belong to Pak citizens and not to Afghans. Amidst this crisis, the government is now allowing those going out to carry only 50,000 Pak rupees to the border. On the other hand, those who travel to the border incur huge expenses including vehicles. The refugees are lamenting that even the loan given to the Pakistanis has not been repaid. Even the tribals on the border are not allowed to cross beyond. CNIC is available only at the age of 18. Pashtun children are being brutalized because they don’t have cards.
Pakistan takes the decision to deport refugees at the beginning of winter. The police ask a huge bribe from those who come to correct the documents. Midnight searches are now commonplace in homes where Afghans live. In many cities including Karachi, the police have been detaining children for several days for a month. Many camps were made a mess by the authorities. Issuance of visa is deliberately delayed. Barriers to access to bank accounts, rental housing, etc. lead to large-scale exploitation of refugees. Apart from this, the responsibility for the September attack by an organization called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is now on the shoulders of the refugees.
Raja Muneeb
(The writer is a columnist and Afghanistan-Pakistan observer.
Email: [email protected])
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