ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s embassy in Pakistan said around 800 Afghans living in the capital have been detained by authorities, including some who are registered with the UN’s refugee agency.
It warned in a statement late on Monday that uncertainty around the visa process for Afghans in Pakistan has caused “troubling cases of arbitrary detention and deportation.”
Islamabad has cracked down on undocumented Afghans as political tensions with Kabul have increased, forcing more than 780,000 Afghans back across the border since the end of 2023 — including some who have lived in Pakistan for decades.
“The Embassy of Afghanistan expresses its deep concern over the recent detention of approximately 800 Afghan nationals in Islamabad,” it said on social media platform X.
“This has caused the tragic separation of families, including women and children, many of whom remain stranded in Pakistan.”
The statement said the number included 137 Afghans with pending visa extension requests or who are temporarily registered with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency.
The embassy was “alarmed by reports of unwarranted arrests, home searches, and extortion targeting Afghan nationals,” it said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has not responded to requests for comment.
More than 600,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021, including tens of thousands on the advice of Western nations with the promise of relocation.
Many are forced by embassies to wait for months in guest houses in Islamabad while their cases are processed and have reported a rise in harassment by police in recent weeks.
The Pakistan government said its deportation campaign is a bid to improve security after a rise in militancy in the border regions.
But Afghans say they are being targeted because of a political falling-out between Islamabad and Kabul.
“The Afghans in Pakistan awaiting immigration are going through so much pain,” Umer Ijaz Gilani, a lawyer who represents Afghans, told AFP.
Millions of Afghans have fled into Pakistan to escape successive conflicts over decades, becoming deeply ingrained in Pakistani society.
According to the UNHCR, Pakistan currently hosts some 1.5 million Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers, alongside more than 1.5 million Afghans of different legal statuses.
Pakistan has given a series of short-term extensions to Afghans with registered refugee status, currently due to expire in June 2025.
Nearly 800 Afghans detained in Pakistan, says Afghanistan embassy
https://arab.news/cm8u3
Nearly 800 Afghans detained in Pakistan, says Afghanistan embassy
- Islamabad has cracked down on undocumented Afghans since 2023 as tensions with Kabul increased
- Pakistan says its deportation campaign is a bid to improve security after a rise in militancy since 2022
Punjab tells court 17 killed during Basant kite-flying festival this month
- Report by provincial authorities says electrocution, rooftop falls among leading causes
- Festival was revived this year after nearly two decades of ban over safety concerns
ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government on Wednesday informed the Lahore High Court 17 people were killed in Lahore during the Feb. 6–8 Basant kite-flying festival, which was revived this year after nearly two decades of restrictions.
Basant, a traditional Punjabi spring festival marked by rooftop kite flying, was banned in Punjab after repeated fatalities linked to metallic or chemically treated kite strings, electrocution from power lines, rooftop falls and injuries to motorcyclists.
The provincial government revived the festival this year under regulatory measures that included restrictions on hazardous kite string and enforcement protocols aimed at preventing injuries.
“It is respectfully submitted that during kite flying festival 2025, 17 casualties have been reported in District Lahore due to electrocution (3), falling down from rooftop (12) and trees (2),” according to a supplementary report submitted in compliance with a court order dated Feb. 17.
The supplementary report was filed by provincial authorities in response to proceedings initiated by the Judicial Activism Panel against the Province of Punjab. Further hearings in the matter are expected before the Lahore High Court.
The government had banned metallic or chemical-coated killer strings for the Basant festival this year.
Kites and strings had to bear individual QR codes so they could be traced and motorcyclists had to attach safety rods to their bikes to fend off stray thread.
Some 4,600 producers registered with authorities to sell kites and strings, while rooftops with 30 or more revelers also had to be registered and dozens of roofs were declared off-limits after inspections.
