Latest news with #ToloNews
The Print
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Afghan migrants in Pakistan decry mistreatment, continued arrests amid deportations
According to Tolo News, Afghan migrants called for urgent international support, with the IFRC stating that they have launched an emergency appeal to support returning Afghan migrants. Islamabad [Pakistan], May 5 (ANI): Afghan migrants reported continued arrests and mistreatment by Pakistan as they face deportations, Tolo News reported. Notably, a large number of Afghan migrants residing in Iran and Pakistan are complaining about various challenges in these countries. They criticized the continued arrests and forced returns of Afghan migrants by the police in both countries and called on refugee-supporting organizations to address their problems. As per Tolo News, many Afghan migrants in Pakistan also reported continued arrests and mistreatment by the host country, urging refugee-support organizations to seriously address their concerns. An Afghan migrant in Pakistan, told Tolo News, 'There are 1.4 million holders of PoR cards and 800,000 holders of ACC cards living here who have businesses and cannot wrap up and relocate their work in just one or two months. They are heavily involved in commercial activities in Pakistan.' Another Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: 'Authorities in Afghanistan are obliged to engage, through mediation by international organizations including UNHCR and IOM and under international documents such as the Geneva Convention, in negotiations with officials in Islamabad and Tehran to resolve the issues of Afghan migrants in both countries.' Tolo News also reported that some of these migrants said that after the invalidation of census documents, Afghan migrants who went to the Kafalat office in Iran were issued exit permits. Meanwhile, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent has issued a statement saying that due to the intensifying return crisis, the organization has launched an emergency appeal to support returning Afghan migrants. Previously, Amnesty International had called on Pakistan to halt the detentions and deportations, stressing that these actions violate the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face persecution. Deporting Afghan refugees, particularly women and girls, could deprive them of safety, education, and livelihood opportunities. In response to these developments, international organisations and advocacy groups are urging Pakistan to reconsider its deportation plans and honour its commitments to refugee protection, emphasising the importance of ensuring the safety and rights of Afghan refugees to avoid exacerbating the existing humanitarian crisis. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Arab News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Tensions rise after Afghan, Pakistani forces trade fire at vital border crossing
KABUL: Tensions were high at the main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Monday after forces from both sides exchanged gunfire overnight, reportedly killing at least one person. The Torkham border crossing, located in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar and Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been closed since Feb. 21 after Islamabad shut it down over concerns of Kabul's construction of a border post. The shootout started on Sunday night at the border and continued until 11 a.m., Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson from the Afghan Ministry of Interior, told Afghan broadcaster Tolo News. The incident took place after the neighboring countries failed to reach an agreement to reopen the Torkham border crossing, leaving stranded thousands of trucks and vehicles carrying goods that include fruits and vegetables. Qani said Pakistani forces were the first ones to shoot, and that the incident had killed at least one Taliban officer and injured two other people. 'The situation has been tense since last night. We are worried more firing can happen after the clashes,' Abdul Rahim, a Nangarhar resident who lives near the border crossing, told Arab News by telephone. Cross-border fire and shootouts have occurred along the Afghan-Pakistan border for years. In the past, each side has closed Torkham and the Chaman border crossing in southwestern Pakistan for various reasons. For landlocked Afghanistan, the two crossings are vital for both trade and travel. Thousands of people, mainly Afghans, use the crossing daily to seek medical treatment and work in Pakistan's border areas. As tensions rise between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the continued closure of Torkham is creating more uncertainties for Afghans at the border. Hassan Khan, an Afghan student who studies in Pakistan, has been stuck in Nangarhar after renewing his documents. 'We thought we would spend a day or two with our families and then go back to our studies in Pakistan. But this incident happened, and it's been two weeks that we are now stuck on this side of the border crossing,' Khan told Arab News. 'We want the gate to reopen soon so we can go to our studies. Many patients and their families spent nights at the crossing hoping for the gate to open.' Ahmad Zia Rahimzai, a political analyst and an editor at the Gaheez Writers and Journalists' Association, said that the initial border closure was a way for Pakistan 'to maintain its pressure on Afghanistan' and impose its demands. 'From time to time, it finds excuses and closes the routes between the two countries … paving the way for military clashes on the border,' Rahimzai told Arab News. 'Pakistan's goal is to force the Afghan rulers to accept their demands through such pressures.'
