Afghan refugees in Pakistan are increasingly facing extortion, harassment, and arrests by Pakistani authorities. This situation is fueled by a rise in anti-Afghan sentiment and allegations of Afghan involvement in political unrest, mirroring the challenges they faced under the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan struggle with extortion and arrests as local Taliban influence grows. Pakistan i police check documents of Afghan refugees during a search operation to identify alleged illegal immigrants on the outskirts of Karachi. — AFP pic as a first-time user .
Exclusively for Malay Mail readers: Use codeISLAMABAD, Jan 2 — The space in which refugee Shaharzad has to live has shrunk to the small courtyard of a guesthouse in Pakistan’s capital, reminiscent of her life under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. She fears being swept up in a wave of anti-Afghan sentiment, including reports of harassment, extortion and arrests by Pakistan authorities who have cracked down on mainly undocumented families living there. “For Afghans, the situation here is terrible and the behaviour of the Pakistani police is like that of the Taliban,” said Shaharzad, who lives in constant fear of being deported with her children. Her son was recently detained while walking in a park, when “the police asked him for money instead of documents”, she said. The government cited spiking militant attacks claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, for a campaign last summer that evicted some 750,000 Afghans, mostly undocumented. In recent months, however, Islamabad and the police have also started alleging Afghan involvement in opposition unrest over the imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan.Afghans who are waiting to be relocated to Western nations say they are being caught up in the political tensions. “After coming here, we feel like we are out of the frying pan and into the fire,” said Afghan Mustafa, who is waiting with his family for visas to the United States. The 31-year-old said his family cannot go out freely to buy groceries and medicine for fear of arrest. “If they know you are an Afghan, whether you have the visa or not, they will arrest you or will extort you,” he sai
Afghan Refugees Pakistan Taliban Extortion Arrests Human Rights
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