ISLAMABAD: Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam on Friday extended his heartfelt gratitude to Pakistan Navy for its swift response to a recent maritime emergency, wherein 23 Iranian fishermen were rescued from a fishing boat in the open sea, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistan Navy said it had rescued the fishermen this week from a sailing vessel that reported problems in its engine and injury to a crew member in the Gulf of Aden.
Pakistan Navy Ship PNS Zulfiqar deployed on the Regional Maritime Security Patrol responded to a distress call made by Iranian fishing dhow, Al Muhammadi, which was stranded over 1,200 nautical miles from its home port.
In his message of appreciation, Ambassador Moghadam praised the Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and commitment, emphasizing the longstanding spirit of mutual support between Iran and Pakistan in international rescue and humanitarian assistance efforts.
“The people of Iran are truly grateful for Pakistan’s unwavering readiness to assist in times of need, exemplifying the close bonds and mutual commitment that Iran and Pakistan have cherished throughout their history,” he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani state-run APP news agency.
The timely and successful rescue operation was an expression of the Pakistan Navy’s determination to ensure the safety of human life at sea. It has rescued Iranian vessels and their crew members in the past as well.
Ambassador Moghadam recalled a similar incident in March, when the Pakistan Navy provided critical assistance by rescuing eight Iranian fishermen after a fire broke out on their vessel, the report said.
Tehran’s envoy praises Pakistan Navy for rescuing 23 Iranian fishermen
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Tehran’s envoy praises Pakistan Navy for rescuing 23 Iranian fishermen
- These Iranian fishermen were rescued from a fishing vessel that reported problems in its engine and injury to a crew member
- Pakistan Navy Ship Zulfiqar responded to a distress call by Iranian vessel stranded 1,200 nautical miles from its home port
Amnesty urges Pakistan to halt deportations of Afghan refugees
- Rights group’s letter to PM Sharif warns deportations violate non-refoulement, expose Afghans to abuse
- Pakistan says it has hosted Afghans for decades with respect, denies mistreatment during repatriation
ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International has urged Pakistan to stop the detention and deportation of Afghan refugees, warning that mass expulsions could expose many to serious human rights violations, according to an open letter the group’s South Asia office posted on X on Friday.
The letter, dated Jan. 1, was addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and comes as Pakistan presses ahead with a multi-phase campaign to repatriate undocumented foreign nationals, most of whom are Afghans who fled decades of war and persecution.
“Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani authorities to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees and ensure that individuals with international protection needs are safeguarded as per international human rights law,” the organization said, warning that the policy violated the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to countries where they risk serious abuse.
Amnesty said Pakistan had provided sanctuary to Afghan nationals for decades, but its policy has shifted sharply since the launch of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” in September 2023, describing it as potentially “one of the largest forcible returns of refugees in modern history,” which it said was marked by a lack of transparency, due process and accountability.
The rights group cited data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, saying arrests and detentions of Afghan refugees had increased tenfold last year, with more than 115,000 cases recorded. It said detainees often had little access to legal representation or family members, and that children were among those arrested.
According to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 1.5 million Afghans have returned since the deportation drive began, with almost half of those returns taking place in 2025 alone. Amnesty said deportations were frequently carried out swiftly, with limits imposed on the money and belongings refugees could take with them.
The group also warned that journalists, human rights defenders, women dissidents and former government officials were being deported despite heightened risks under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, where Amnesty has documented extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, torture and severe restrictions on women and girls.
Pakistan has not issued a response to the letter.
However, officials in Islamabad have previously said Pakistan has hosted Afghan nationals for decades with respect, sharing its resources despite limited international support. The Pakistan Foreign Office said last year that mechanisms were in place to ensure no one was mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process.
Pakistan has also claimed that Afghan nationals have remained involved in militancy and crime, though the mass expulsions are widely seen as an attempt to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to curb cross-border militant attacks by armed factions targeting Pakistani forces, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
International organizations, including the UN refugee agency, have also urged Pakistan in the past to halt forced deportations and ensure that any returns are voluntary, gradual and dignified.
