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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Abandoned': Afghan women waiting for visas feel betrayed by US travel ban
By Charlotte Greenfield and Mohammad Yunus Yawar ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Reuters) -Fatima, a 57-year-old Afghan women's rights defender waiting in limbo in Pakistan for her U.S. visa to be processed, had her dreams shattered overnight after President Donald Trump included Afghans among those banned from entering the U.S. She worked for decades for U.S.-funded projects in Central Afghanistan and now risks being pushed back to her home country, where she fears for her safety and her teenage daughter is unable to attend school. "Unfortunately, the decisions made by President Trump turned all the hopes and beliefs of us into ashes," she told Reuters, asking that only her first name be published for security reasons. Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning nationals of 12 countries, including Afghanistan, from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "We are not al-Qaeda, we are the ones who fought back, we are the ones who gave our youth, our strength, our physical energy, our voices, everything we had, for the dream of a peaceful nation, for a country where we could simply breathe, we stood beside NATO forces," said Fatima. "And today, to be abandoned by America is not only tragic, it is devastating, It is a source of deep despair," she added. HELP PLEDGED FOR ALLIES In the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, Western countries vowed to help, especially those Afghans who had worked for them or on projects they backed. But many have been disappointed. Then-President Joe Biden pledged to help "Afghan allies" and introduced the P-2 programme for admission as refugees for Afghans who met certain criteria, including having worked for U.S. organisations and media. The main refugee advocate agency this year estimated that between 10,000-15,000 Afghans were waiting in Pakistan for their visas to be processed, though that included applicants to the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program for those who directly assisted the U.S. military and government, which was exempted from this week's order. Fatima said she had hoped never to leave her country but as the prominent head of a women's rights group she felt she had no choice after the Taliban returned to power. The U.S. government instructed her to travel to a third country for processing and like many, her only option was neighbouring Pakistan where she arrived in 2023. She finally received notice that she should send her family's passports to prepare for a flight in January. But a decision that month by President Trump to halt refugee processing threw that into disarray and Fatima has not heard from U.S. authorities since. In the meantime, Pakistan began once again ramping up a repatriation drive that began in 2023, leaving many in the pipeline for U.S. processing fearful of even leaving the house in case they were stopped by police. A spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday on how it would handle the Afghans in the pipeline for the U.S. The Taliban-run foreign ministry did not immediately respond to request for comment on Trump's executive order. The Taliban, which has barred women from travelling without a male guardian and girls from high school, says it respects women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law. It has said that its administration is not targeting former foes with violence and it will investigate any suspected cases. Mahbouba Seraj, a prominent Kabul-based women's rights advocate, said the new U.S. decision was a huge blow to women's rights defenders and other vulnerable groups. "This is absolutely terrible because a whole lot of those... people were waiting, they have all of their paperwork done, they are completely vetted, they are all ready to come to the U.S., they have sold their houses, they have no life in Afghanistan and they are all waiting," she said. "Now this is what happens."
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
'Abandoned': Afghan women waiting for visas feel betrayed by US travel ban
ISLAMABAD/KABUL - Fatima, a 57-year-old Afghan women's rights defender waiting in limbo in Pakistan for her U.S. visa to be processed, had her dreams shattered overnight after President Donald Trump included Afghans among those banned from entering the U.S. She worked for decades for U.S.-funded projects in Central Afghanistan and now risks being pushed back to her home country, where she fears for her safety and her teenage daughter is unable to attend school. "Unfortunately, the decisions made by President Trump turned all the hopes and beliefs of us into ashes," she told Reuters, asking that only her first name be published for security reasons. Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning nationals of 12 countries, including Afghanistan, from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "We are not al-Qaeda, we are the ones who fought back, we are the ones who gave our youth, our strength, our physical energy, our voices, everything we had, for the dream of a peaceful nation, for a country where we could simply breathe, we stood beside NATO forces," said Fatima. "And today, to be abandoned by America is not only tragic, it is devastating, It is a source of deep despair," she added. HELP PLEDGED FOR ALLIES In the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, Western countries vowed to help, especially those Afghans who had worked for them or on projects they backed. But many have been disappointed. Then-President Joe Biden pledged to help "Afghan allies" and introduced the P-2 programme for admission as refugees for Afghans who met certain criteria, including having worked for U.S. organisations and media. The main refugee advocate agency this year estimated that between 10,000-15,000 Afghans were waiting in Pakistan for their visas to be processed, though that included applicants to the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program for those who directly assisted the U.S. military and government, which was exempted from this week's order. Fatima said she had hoped never to leave her country but as the prominent head of a women's rights group she felt she had no choice after the Taliban returned to power. The U.S. government instructed her to travel to a third country for processing and like many, her only option was neighbouring Pakistan where she arrived in 2023. She finally received notice that she should send her family's passports to prepare for a flight in January. But a decision that month by President Trump to halt refugee processing threw that into disarray and Fatima has not heard from U.S. authorities since. In the meantime, Pakistan began once again ramping up a repatriation drive that began in 2023, leaving many in the pipeline for U.S. processing fearful of even leaving the house in case they were stopped by police. A spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday on how it would handle the Afghans in the pipeline for the U.S. The Taliban-run foreign ministry did not immediately respond to request for comment on Trump's executive order. The Taliban, which has barred women from travelling without a male guardian and girls from high school, says it respects women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law. It has said that its administration is not targeting former foes with violence and it will investigate any suspected cases. Mahbouba Seraj, a prominent Kabul-based women's rights advocate, said the new U.S. decision was a huge blow to women's rights defenders and other vulnerable groups. "This is absolutely terrible because a whole lot of those... people were waiting, they have all of their paperwork done, they are completely vetted, they are all ready to come to the U.S., they have sold their houses, they have no life in Afghanistan and they are all waiting," she said. "Now this is what happens." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
'Abandoned': Afghan women waiting for visas feel betrayed by US travel ban
ISLAMABAD/KABUL, June 5 (Reuters) - Fatima, a 57-year-old Afghan women's rights defender waiting in limbo in Pakistan for her U.S. visa to be processed, had her dreams shattered overnight after President Donald Trump included Afghans among those banned from entering the U.S. She worked for decades for U.S.-funded projects in Central Afghanistan and now risks being pushed back to her home country, where she fears for her safety and her teenage daughter is unable to attend school. "Unfortunately, the decisions made by President Trump turned all the hopes and beliefs of us into ashes," she told Reuters, asking that only her first name be published for security reasons. Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning nationals of 12 countries, including Afghanistan, from entering the United States, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "We are not al-Qaeda, we are the ones who fought back, we are the ones who gave our youth, our strength, our physical energy, our voices, everything we had, for the dream of a peaceful nation, for a country where we could simply breathe, we stood beside NATO forces," said Fatima. "And today, to be abandoned by America is not only tragic, it is devastating, It is a source of deep despair," she added. In the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, Western countries vowed to help, especially those Afghans who had worked for them or on projects they backed. But many have been disappointed. Then-President Joe Biden pledged to help "Afghan allies" and introduced the P-2 programme for admission as refugees for Afghans who met certain criteria, including having worked for U.S. organisations and media. The main refugee advocate agency this year estimated that between 10,000-15,000 Afghans were waiting in Pakistan for their visas to be processed, though that included applicants to the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program for those who directly assisted the U.S. military and government, which was exempted from this week's order. Fatima said she had hoped never to leave her country but as the prominent head of a women's rights group she felt she had no choice after the Taliban returned to power. The U.S. government instructed her to travel to a third country for processing and like many, her only option was neighbouring Pakistan where she arrived in 2023. She finally received notice that she should send her family's passports to prepare for a flight in January. But a decision that month by President Trump to halt refugee processing threw that into disarray and Fatima has not heard from U.S. authorities since. In the meantime, Pakistan began once again ramping up a repatriation drive that began in 2023, leaving many in the pipeline for U.S. processing fearful of even leaving the house in case they were stopped by police. A spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday on how it would handle the Afghans in the pipeline for the U.S. The Taliban-run foreign ministry did not immediately respond to request for comment on Trump's executive order. The Taliban, which has barred women from travelling without a male guardian and girls from high school, says it respects women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law. It has said that its administration is not targeting former foes with violence and it will investigate any suspected cases. Mahbouba Seraj, a prominent Kabul-based women's rights advocate, said the new U.S. decision was a huge blow to women's rights defenders and other vulnerable groups. "This is absolutely terrible because a whole lot of those... people were waiting, they have all of their paperwork done, they are completely vetted, they are all ready to come to the U.S., they have sold their houses, they have no life in Afghanistan and they are all waiting," she said. "Now this is what happens."
Express Tribune
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistan-US relations strained by complete silence
ISLAMABAD: More than two weeks after President Donald Trump took charge of the White House, there has been no formal contact yet between Pakistan and the new administration. Official sources told The Express Tribune on Tuesday that the two countries had been in touch through usual diplomatic channels but there had been no direct contact with the Trump administration. The lack of direct contact shows Pakistan is no longer a priority for the new Trump administration. Pakistan was once known as the most allied ally of the United States and regular interactions between the two capitals were routine. However, over the past few years, things have changed to the extent that the new US president does not even speak to Pakistani leaders. The trend was set by former president Joe Biden, who during his four-year term, never spoke to any of the Pakistani prime ministers. His secretary of State Anthony Blinken also never travelled to Islamabad despite frequently visiting the region. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were quick to congratulate President Trump on his inauguration. Prime Minister Shehbaz even wrote a letter to Trump, expressing Pakistan's desire to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Similarly, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar felicitated his US counterpart Marco Rubio. But the new administration has yet to respond to any of the courtesies extended by Pakistani leaders. The Trump administration officials have yet to make any explicit statement on Pakistan but certain decisions taken by the US President have implications for the country. Pakistan was among the countries which were affected by President Trump's executive order seeking a pause in foreign aid. Except for Israel and Egypt, the Trump Administration suspended foreign aid programs in order to conduct a review to ascertain if such funding were aligned with the US foreign policy agenda. Pakistan hoped that the pause was temporary and the US would soon resume USAID programs. The other Trump decision that has direct bearing on Pakistan was his executive order to halt Afghan refugee settlement program. The new US administration suspended the Special Immigration Visa program and Afghan refugee admissions program for 90 days. Pakistan is currently hosting approximately 25,000 Afghans, who were to be relocated to the US. All such Afghans worked for the US military and other American contractors during their campaign in Afghanistan. They were promised US visas since their lives were in danger under Taliban rule. The Foreign Office spokesperson for the first-time last week disclosed that under the arrangement reached with the Biden administration, the process of relocation of all such Afghans had to be completed by September 2025.
