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Over 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan face deportation amid crackdown on illegal immigrants

Afghan people wait behind a fenced corridor before crossing into Pakistan at the zero point Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Nangarhar province on February 25, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 10 October 2023
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Over 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan face deportation amid crackdown on illegal immigrants

  • Afghan journalists urge Pakistani authorities to extend legal stay in the country until they are resettled to other countries
  • Pakistani federation of journalists says lives of Afghan journalists deported would be under threat in Afghanistan
Updated 10 October 2023
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: With over 200 Afghan journalists and their families facing deportation from Pakistan, a federation of Afghan journalists on Tuesday urged the Pakistani government to reconsider its decision to expel them from the country.

According to data by the Pakistan-Afghan International Forum of Journalists, at least 650 media workers fled to Pakistan fearing persecution at the hands of the Taliban after the group took over Kabul in August 2021. About 400 journalists have made it to different countries, including the US, Germany and France, but the rest have been stuck as their travel documents have expired.

Pakistan's caretaker interior minister announced last Tuesday the government would deport illegal immigrants in the country from Nov. 1. While Pakistan says the operation would not be restricted to people of any particular nationality, the move is likely to impact Afghan nationals in Pakistan the most.

“The majority of Afghan journalists entered Pakistan legally but Pakistani authorities are not extending our visas now,” Hashmat Vejdani, spokesperson of the Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile, told Arab News on Tuesday.

“Those who entered Pakistan illegally to escape Taliban persecution have also applied for visas but the government was not entertaining their applications.”

At least 600,000 Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Even before then, Pakistan hosted some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Over a million others are estimated to live in Pakistan unregistered.

Afghan journalists in Pakistan are anxiously waiting for visas from countries that previously employed them and have often complained that Pakistani police detain or threaten to arrest them for bribes, a charge police officials deny.

For over 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan, the clock is ticking as their travel documents are expiring.

"Cases of the majority of Afghan journalists staying in Pakistan are under process for resettlement in European countries, therefore Pakistani government should reconsider its decision,” Vejdani said.

He voiced fears that Afghan journalists deported to Afghanistan would either be jailed or killed by the Taliban.

“The media in Afghanistan is in total control of the Taliban," he said. "We have worked for Western news organizations during the war so the Taliban consider us their staunch enemies."

Vejdani said Afghan journalists are ready to cooperate with the Pakistani government and called upon authorities to extend their visas till their resettlement applications are not finalized.

He said Afghan journalists and their families in Pakistan were registered with the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP), a Pakistani NGO that is an implementing partner of the UNHCR.

“Our deportation would clearly mean throwing us to the Taliban for murder," Vejdani said. "Pakistan should heed our requests for a safe and legal stay here."

Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to calls and messages seeking their version for this story.

Separately, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Tuesday urged Pakistan's government to reconsider its decision and called on media stakeholders, civil society organizations, and international governments to increase their support for Afghan journalists in exile.

“At least 200 Afghan journalists are currently refugees in Pakistan, forced to flee the Taliban’s crackdown on press freedom, including draconian restrictions on women journalists, shuttering of media houses, and rampant censorship,” the IFJ said in a statement.

In August, the IFJ and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) established two solidarity centers in Islamabad to aid Afghan journalists that provided emergency housing, legal and psychological support. One of the two centers is exclusively for women journalists.

“We have the data of 256 Afghan journalists in Pakistan, and we have been in touch with the government to chalk out a way for their stay in the country,” PFUJ President Afzal Butt told Arab News.

“We know the lives of these journalists would be in danger if deported to Afghanistan, therefore we have been trying our best for their legal stay in Pakistan until their resettlement to third countries,” Butt added.

Topics: Afghan refugee in Pakistan

Pakistani forces kill 6 militants in volatile northwest near Afghanistan— army

Updated 08 May 2024
AP
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Pakistani forces kill 6 militants in volatile northwest near Afghanistan— army

  • Pakistani security forces carry out twin raids in Dera Ismail Khan, North Waziristan districts
  • Such operations are often conducted against Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group
Updated 08 May 2024
AP

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistani security forces killed six militants in twin raids Wednesday targeting their hideouts in the country’s volatile northwest region bordering Afghanistan, the military said.

Five militants were killed in the first raid in Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement. It did not provide further details about the slain insurgents, and only said the men were behind various previous attacks on the security forces.

Another militant was killed in the second raid in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the North Waziristan district in the northwest.

The statement did not provide any further details about the identity of the slain men.

Such operations often target the Pakistani Taliban, which has been emboldened by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, it is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.

Topics: Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan hikes electricity prices by Rs2.83 per unit citing fuel cost adjustment

Updated 08 May 2024
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Pakistan hikes electricity prices by Rs2.83 per unit citing fuel cost adjustment

  • Fuel cost adjustment for March to reflect in consumers’ bills for the month of May, says power regulator
  • Pakistan has been caught in a high inflationary cycle since April 2022 due to surging food and fuel prices
Updated 08 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Wednesday authorized distribution companies to levy a Rs2.83 per unit additional charge on consumers’ bills for May, with the move likely to fuel inflation in a country already suffering an economic crisis. 

A notification by NEPRA seen by Arab News stated that the fuel cost adjustment pertains to March, adding that the additional charges would apply to all consumer categories except “Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) and lifeline consumers.”

“The said adjustment shall be shown separately in consumers’ bills on the basis of units billed to the consumer in the month of March 2024,” the notification said. 

Pakistan has been caught in a high inflationary spiral since April 2022, with the highest-ever inflation rate recorded at 38 percent in May 2023. The government credits soaring inflation to painful decisions it had to take to meet conditions for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program, including hiking energy tariffs and fuel prices.

Gas and electricity rates were hiked by 318.7 percent and 73 percent respectively in a year, according to official data.

The price hikes come as Pakistan is set to begin discussions with the IMF this month over a new multi-billion-dollar loan agreement after completing its nine-month, $3 billion loan arrangement with the lender. 

Under the last IMF bailout, Pakistan was told to prevent further accumulation of circular debt in its power sector, arising from subsidies and unpaid bills. For a new program, the South Asian nation will need to implement reforms to reduce costs by improving electricity transmission and distribution, moving captive power into the grid, improving governance, and combating theft. 

It will also have to maintain power and gas tariffs at levels that ensure cost recovery, with adjustments made to safeguard the financially vulnerable, through existing progressive tariff structures.
 

Topics: Pakistan Electricity bill in Pakistan

Senior World Bank official concludes Pakistan trip after discussing reforms with officials

Updated 08 May 2024
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Senior World Bank official concludes Pakistan trip after discussing reforms with officials

  • World Bank Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser meets PM Sharif, key officials in Islamabad
  • Raiser praises Pakistan’s reform plans to boost growth, attract private investment and tackle poverty
Updated 08 May 2024
KHURSHID AHMED   

ISLAMABAD: A senior World Bank official concluded his three-day visit to Pakistan on Wednesday, holding discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and key government ministers on Islamabad’s fiscal and economic reforms, a statement from the international institution said. 

World Bank Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser arrived in the federal capital on May 6, with his visit taking place as Pakistan faces a chronic balance of payment crisis, forcing it to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new long-term bailout deal. 

Pakistan has faced the challenges of revenue generation and government expenditure in the past and struggled with high levels of debt, a large fiscal deficit and an ongoing need for structural reforms to improve its fiscal sustainability.

“The World Bank Vice President for South Asia, Martin Raiser, concluded his three-day visit to Pakistan today and reaffirmed the World Bank’s support to stabilize the economy and accelerate inclusive and resilient growth,” a press release by the international institution read. 

It said Raiser met Sharif, ministers of finance, water, power, energy, and petroleum, and his counterparts to discuss Pakistan’s development priorities. 

“The discussions focused on economic and fiscal reforms, human capital development, adaptation to climate change, energy sector reforms, and digitalization as a foundational enabler and accelerator of development,” the World Bank added. \

Raiser said he was pleased to learn of Pakistan’s reform plans to boost growth and attract private investment, strengthen climate resilience, and invest in human capital to tackle daunting challenges such as child stunting and poverty. 

The World Bank official also visited Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province to meet Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. 

“Discussions focused on the provincial developmental priorities and how can the World Bank step up its support in key sectors, like education, water and sanitation, health, rural roads, and livelihoods,” the statement said. 

He also attended a national conference on education in Islamabad, where PM Sharif also spoke. Raiser reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to urgent action to tackle the large number of out-of-school children in Pakistan.

Topics: World Bank Pakistan

PM Sharif declares ‘education emergency’ across Pakistan to enroll out-of-school children

Updated 08 May 2024
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PM Sharif declares ‘education emergency’ across Pakistan to enroll out-of-school children

  • Pakistan has one of the world’s highest out-of-school children population at 26.2 million 
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif says will personally oversee the national program to ensure its success
Updated 08 May 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday declared an “education emergency” across Pakistan on Wednesday, vowing to personally oversee the program which he hoped would enroll over 26.2 million out-of-school children in educational institutions. 

Pakistan has the second-highest population of out-of-school children in the world at 26.2 million, according to Unicef Pakistan. Pakistani experts have identified population growth, lack of localized strategies, and economic issues as the main reasons why over 26 million Pakistani children are not enrolled in schools across the country. 

A report by Pakistan’s education ministry in January revealed that out of 26.2 million out-of-school children, 11.73 million are in Punjab, 7.63 million in Sindh, 3.63 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 3.13 million in Balochistan province.

Speaking at an event titled “National Conference on Education Emergency,” Sharif said enrolling millions of children back into schools was a “tall order” that could be achieved with conviction. 

“I declare from this moment an emergency in education all over Pakistan,” Sharif told members of the conference, which included federal ministers, parliamentarians, vice-chancellors, and diplomats. 

The Pakistani prime minister said he would personally oversee the national program, adding that he would meet the chief ministers of all four provinces in the country for the sake of Pakistani children and their future. 

“This is about our children and our future,” Sharif said. “This is a very challenging task, no doubt. But nations which had faced difficulties and defeat in the past arose from the ashes of defeat.”

He hoped provincial governments in Pakistan would help the center in achieving its goal of promoting education in the country and transforming it into an educated nation. 

“I guarantee, if we move in unison to find our space, Pakistan will become one of the most educated societies one day soon,” he remarked. 
 

Topics: out of school children in Pakistan Pakistan Education Arab News Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan’s first lunar satellite ICUBE-Q successfully enters moon’s orbit 

Updated 08 May 2024
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Pakistan’s first lunar satellite ICUBE-Q successfully enters moon’s orbit 

  • ICUBE-Q was deployed in moon’s orbit around 1:14 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time, says Institute of Space technology official 
  • IST official describes development as “important” one for Pakistan allowing it to conduct “bigger” space missions in future
Updated 08 May 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

Islamabad: Pakistan’s first lunar satellite ICUBE-Q entered the moon’s orbit successfully today, Wednesday, a senior official of the country’s Institute of Space Technology (IST) confirmed, saying the “important” development could pave the way for “bigger” space missions for the country in the future.

The ICUBE-Qamar satellite carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface and weighs around 7kg. Cubesats are tiny box-shaped satellites that are mainly launched into low Earth orbit to observe the Earth, test new communications technology, or perform miniature experiments.

Pakistan’s first lunar satellite was launched aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe on May 3. The Chinese probe is tasked with landing on the far side of the moon, which perpetually faces away from the Earth, after which it will retrieve and return samples. China is the first country to make such an ambitious attempt.

“Our ICUBE-Q was deployed successfully in its orbit at 1:14 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time,” Dr. Khurram Khurshid, the head of the electrical engineering and computer science department at IST and a co-lead on the satellite project, told Arab News.

Dr. Khurshid said Pakistani officials will continue to test the satellite’s system for the next three to four days. He said initial tests revealed there were no complications with the cubesat’s system. 

The IST official said the development means Pakistan is officially in an exclusive club of countries that have conducted deep space missions. 

“This is the first step, a step in the right direction,” Dr. Khurshid noted. “It can lead to bigger space missions, such as landing on the moon or various other experiments.”

Dr. Khurshid said Pakistan would be able to share images from the satellite by May 15. 

Around 100 students from IST contributed to developing the satellite. Pakistan’s proposal to build the satellite was accepted by the China National Space Agency (CNSA) from plans submitted by eight member states of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO). 

The design, development, and qualification of the ICUBE-Q satellite were spearheaded by faculty members and students of the IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), with support from Pakistan’s National Space Agency, SUPARCO.

The ICUBE-Q has two cameras as payload for taking images of the lunar surface that will be transmitted back to Earth for analysis. 
 

Topics: ICUBE-Qamar ICUBE-Q Pakistan lunar satellite

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