Another appeal filed in Pakistan top court against deportation of Afghan nationals

Afghan refugees settle in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. (AP/File)
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Updated 30 November 2023
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Another appeal filed in Pakistan top court against deportation of Afghan nationals

  • Thousands of Afghans, many of whom lived in Pakistan for decades, have left under government’s deportation policy
  • Petition says government committing violations of human rights, constitution and international law with new policy

ISLAMABAD: A group of top academics on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government’s campaign to deport Afghans and seeking orders to restrain law enforcement agencies from implementing the expulsion policy.

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented migrants, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbors anti-Pakistan militants. Since the announcement of the deportation drive on Oct. 3, tens of thousands of Afghans, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, have had to leave the country, and authorities are rounding up many more in raids across the country.

Politicians and right activists earlier this month moved the Supreme Court against the government’s deportation order. The latest plea has been filed by six faculty members of the country’s top higher education institute, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. The case is fixed for hearing on Dec. 1.

Article 184 (3) empowers the Supreme Court to hear cases from individuals who believe their fundamental rights have been violated and the issue is of public importance.

The plea names the federation, all four provinces, the Islamabad chief commissioner, the chief commissioner for Afghan refugees, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the director general of Immigration and Passports and the United National High Commissioner for Afghan refugees as respondents.

It stated that the petitioners, as concerned citizens, were compelled to file the plea in the interest of poor Afghans living in Pakistan, “whether refugees, asylum seekers, so-called illegal foreigners or Pakistani citizens of Afghan origin.”

“This petition is necessitated due to the serious human rights abuses and blatant violation of the Constitution and international law being committed by the federal government, the provincial government and other government authorities in the name of Pakistan.”

The plea said the caretaker government’s decision to expel Afghans “is not contained in any formal written letter” and does not “appear to have been passed under any legal authority such as the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any other statute.”

The petition highlighted that during the process of expulsion, Rs50,000 was taken from Afghan nationals at the borders while many were forced to abandon their homes, properties and businesses in Pakistan.

“Since the impugned decision was made and the expiry of the deadline was given, Afghans are being subjected to forced expulsion, harassment, extortion, physical abuse, racial discrimination, separation from family members, and inhumane treatment in violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and international law,” the plea said.

In the 1980s, millions of Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of their country. The numbers witnessed a spike after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Even before the expulsion drive began, Afghans have long complained about constant harassment due to the lack of citizenship rights for those who have spent decades living and working in Pakistan.

Human rights activists have for years called for Afghans born in the country to be given nationality in accordance with Pakistani law, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the country, except for children of diplomats and enemy aliens.


Pakistan PM to address World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai today

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Pakistan PM to address World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai today

  • Shehbaz Sharif’s address to highlight Pakistan’s vision for inclusive economic growth and governance reforms
  • Pakistan PM to meet UAE’s vice president and ruler of Dubai as well as Sri Lanka’s president, says PM’s Office

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the World Governments Summit in Dubai today, Tuesday, with his speech focusing on his country’s vision for inclusive economic growth, his office said in a statement. 

Over 400 ministers and thousands of industry leaders, experts, and policymakers are taking part in the summit from Feb. 11-13. As per the WGS, the event will also welcome over 80 international, regional and intergovernmental organizations to join a discussion on the future of governance, global challenges and their innovative solutions. 

Sharif arrived on his second visit to the UAE since assuming office in March last year with a high-level delegation on Monday. The prime minister spoke to investors and is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Tuesday highlighting Pakistan’s vision for inclusive economic growth, digital transformation and governance reforms, the foreign office said in a statement earlier. 

“The Prime Minister will represent Pakistan at the World Governments Summit in Dubai and will address it live on Pakistan Television,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. 

It added that Sharif will also meet the UAE’s vice president, the prime minister and ruler of Dubai, the Sri Lankan president, the chairperson of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and investors in the UAE during his trip. 

Sharif spoke to investors in the UAE on Monday, saying that Islamabad was having a “very close interaction” with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in minerals and mining sectors. 

The summit is an important event for Pakistan, which has reached out to regional allies and economic partners in recent months to escape a prolonged economic crisis that has drained its resources and triggered inflation in the country. 

The WGS was established in 2013 under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai. The organization says since then its leadership has continued to champion the mission of shaping future governments and creating a better future for humanity. 


Pakistan and Belarus agree to strengthen cooperation in industry, health and tourism sectors

Updated 27 min 48 sec ago
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Pakistan and Belarus agree to strengthen cooperation in industry, health and tourism sectors

  • Both countries hold eighth session of Pakistan-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Minsk
  • Islamabad is pushing for foreign investment from allies in a bid to shore up $350 billion economy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has agreed to expand its cooperation with Belarus in industry, media, tourism and other vital economic sectors, state-run media reported this week, as Islamabad pushes for foreign investment from allies to shore up its $350 billion economy.

The decision was taken on Monday at the Eighth Session of the Pakistan-Belarus Joint Ministerial Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation held in Minsk during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Belarusian Energy Minister Aleksey Kushnarenko.

“Both sides agreed to expand industrial cooperation, particularly in agricultural machinery, transportation and industrial equipment,” Radio Pakistan said. “They also pledged to work together on health care and pharmaceuticals sector, seed production, livestock, veterinary medicine and fisheries to boost food security and trade between the two nations and many other sectors.”

The meeting focused on strengthening the two countries’ economic, commercial, and technical ties, the state broadcaster said. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on labor migration issues, promote tourism, and renew the agreement between the National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus and Pakistan Television Corporation, it added. 

Pakistan and Belarus marked 30 years of diplomatic ties in 2024. Earlier this year, Belarus’s prime minister visited Islamabad to meet key civilian and military officials including the prime minister and army chief.

In November 2024, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko witnessed the signing of 15 memorandums of agreements in Islamabad for cooperation in disaster management, environmental protection, science and technology and halal trade.

In September 2024, Pakistan and Belarus explored joint ventures in agricultural machinery including a tractor plant and a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine for cattle. They also agreed to collaborate on agricultural mechanization, livestock, seeds and veterinary medicine. 

The two countries have a history of cooperation, having held the first Joint Economic Commission in 2015 focusing on textile, pharmaceutical and lighting industries.

Pakistan’s efforts to increase trade and investment ties with regional allies and other countries stems from its desire to pursue sustainable growth amid a prolonged economic crisis. Pakistan last year came to the brink of a sovereign default before it clinched a last-gasp $3 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 


Pakistan’s UN ambassador calls for global action against militants operating from Afghanistan

Updated 49 min ago
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Pakistan’s UN ambassador calls for global action against militants operating from Afghanistan

  • Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring safe havens for militants as it suffers from surge in attacks 
  • Munir Akram calls for eliminating root causes of militancy such as poverty, injustice and unresolved conflicts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram has called for global action against religiously motivated militants such as Daesh, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Majeed Brigade outfits, alleging that over two dozen “terrorist groups” are operating from Afghanistan which are a threat to the entire region and beyond. 

Pakistan has suffered a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan. The TTP or the Pakistani Taliban have carried out attacks against civilians and law enforcers in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces while the Majeed Brigade, a specialized unit of the Baloch Liberation Army, have scaled attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province. 

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to take action against militants that it says are using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan, a charge the Taliban-led government denies. Pakistan last year conducted cross-border strikes into Afghanistan against alleged militant targets, escalating tensions with its western neighbor. 

Akram made the comments during the UN Security Council briefings on “Threats to international peace & security caused by terrorist acts,” Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN shared on social media platform X on Tuesday. 

“While strongly rejecting any imputation that an ISIL-K/Daesh recruitment is taking place inside the country, Pakistan has urged the international community to take greater cognizance of the renewed terrorist threat posed by the TTP, Majeed Brigade and Daesh,” the mission said. 

“He stated in unequivocal terms that over two dozen terrorist groups are operating inside Afghanistan, which is also the ‘main hub for ISIL-K’s recruitment and facilitation,’ as is confirmed by the UN Monitoring Team’s recent report.”

Akram pointed out that Pakistan had defeated Al-Qaeda and other militant networks within its borders, adding that the South Asian country continues to confront “terrorist threats” such as the TTP, Daesh and the Majeed Brigade operating from safe havens across the border.

He demanded addressing root causes of militancy such as poverty, injustice, prolonged unresolved conflicts, foreign occupation and denial of the right of self-determination to people. 

“Without addressing the root causes, we can hope for little success if our focus remains restricted to the consequences of such policies,” he maintained.

Akram pointed out that it was unfortunate how counter-terrorism policies have often equated Islam with extremism, adding that such misplaced notions fuel Islamophobia and further radicalization.

He condemned “terrorism” in all its forms, saying Pakistan was one of the countries worldwide leading the battle against militancy. 

“For more than four decades, we have remained at the forefront of global counter terrorism efforts and been a principle target of terrorist attacks, financed by our adversaries in the region and we have paid a heavy price in innocent human life; lost 80,000 casualties and enormous damage to our economy,” Akram said. 


Polio vaccination mandatory for Pakistani Umrah pilgrims following surge in cases

Updated 11 February 2025
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Polio vaccination mandatory for Pakistani Umrah pilgrims following surge in cases

  • Saudi Arabia instructs Pakistani pilgrims to receive polio vaccination at least four weeks before departure, says state media 
  • Development takes place amid surge in polio cases in recent months, with Pakistan reporting 73 infection cases last year 

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has made it mandatory for Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan to receive polio vaccination before traveling to the Kingdom for the spiritual pilgrimage, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported this week. 

The development takes place amid a surge in poliovirus cases in Pakistan in recent months, with the South Asian country reporting 73 cases last year and only one this year. Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure and to ensure immunity, health experts say it is crucial that all children under five complete the oral polio vaccine series.

According to Radio Pakistan, GACA has issued a letter directing Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan to receive polio vaccination at least four weeks before their departure and to carry the vaccination certificate with them. 

“The vaccination should not be more than six months old at the time of departure,” the state broadcaster said. 

The Pakistani state media said Umrah pilgrims and relevant institutions have been asked to “strictly implement” this condition to avoid offloading of pilgrims from the plane.

Pakistan has said it vaccinated over 45 million children in its first anti-polio vaccination campaign of the year conducted last week from Feb. 3-9. 

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries where polio remains endemic. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been hampered by vaccine misinformation, opposition from some religious hard-liners who view immunization as a foreign plot, and frequent attacks on polio vaccination teams by militant groups.


Review clears Uruguay, Pakistan and Uganda challenge WADA anti-doping listings

Updated 11 February 2025
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Review clears Uruguay, Pakistan and Uganda challenge WADA anti-doping listings

  • All three were put on WADA’s watchlist in September 2024 over “outstanding non-conformities” to updated anti-doping code
  • Sanctions bar non-compliant nations or organizations from hosting major sporting events, flying their flag at sporting events

Montreal: The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday that a review committee recommended the removal of Uruguay from its compliance watchlist, while Pakistan and Uganda vowed to fight accusations of code violations.

All three were put on WADA’s watchlist in September 2024 over “outstanding non-conformities” to the agency’s updated anti-doping code.

Some of the states’ legislation was also alleged to be in conflict with those rules.

In a statement, WADA said Uruguay’s national anti-doping organization provided information and documentation that showed “critical corrective actions had now been corrected in full.”

As such, the agency’s Compliance Review Committee recommended the withdrawal of a notice of non-compliance against Uruguay.

If the Executive Committee agrees, there would be no sanctions applied to Uruguay.

The Olympic committees of Pakistan and Uganda, meanwhile, notified WADA they plan to “dispute the allegations of non-compliance against them, as well as the proposed consequences, and the conditions of reinstatement,” the global anti-doping body said.

The two cases would be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for consideration “in due course.”

No penalties will be imposed until the court rules.

There are currently four signatories to WADA’s code that are non-compliant: Cameroon and Russia, the International Federation of Basque Pelota and the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.

Sanctions bar non-compliant nations or organizations from hosting major sporting events and from flying their flag at sporting events.