MoRR says 800 Afghan refugees detained in Islamabad

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan (MoRR) claims Pakistani police have detained around 800 Afghan refugees from various areas of Islamabad after a violent protest by a political party.

According to a statement from MoRR, based on reports from Afghan refugees residing in Islamabad, Pakistani police announced that Afghan refugees who participated in Islamabad recent protest in support of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) would be detained.

Last week, PTI supporters in Islamabad organized protests demanding the release of Imran Khan from prison, which was met with a strong police response.

The Pakistani Interior Minister, during a press conference, said that 19 Afghans had participated in the protest and were arrested after their identities were confirmed by police.

The minister also mentioned that after December 2024, Afghan refugees will not be allowed to stay in Islamabad without non-objection certificate (NOC).

He instructed them to visit the Islamabad police commissioner’s office by the end of the month to register themselves and their families, or they would be expelled from the city.

MoRR said contrary to the Pakistani Interior Minister's comments, security agencies in Islamabad had launched extensive operations in areas where refugees live in order to arrest them. So far, 800 Afghan refugees have been arrested and detained.

The ministry also added efforts are ongoing to release detained refugees, with many having been freed from prisons by the office of the Afghan embassy, and further efforts are underway to secure the release of more.

It is worth noting that after the protests, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad denied claims that Afghan refugees had participated in the PTI demonstration.

The embassy stated Pakistan should not use Afghan refugees as political tools and reiterated its demand for the release of Afghan detainees.

sa/ma