Pakistan must stop arrests, harassment of Afghan refugees: Fitrat

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has stated that problems faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan are worsening and urged the neighbouring country to stop arresting and harassing them.

In an audio message, IEA deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said: “Unfortunately, problems faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan are increasing, with arrests, harassment, and mistreatment by Pakistani officials on the rise, leaving refugees in serious difficulty.”

He called on the United Nations and other relevant organisations to uphold refugee protection principles and intervene in countries where refugee rights are being violated.

Fitrat added that the return of refugees to Afghanistan also requires economic cooperation and support.

He stressed that the Pakistani government should be compelled to respect refugee rights, follow international refugee principles, and cease arresting and harassing Afghan migrants.

Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported on Saturday that arrests and detentions of Afghan nationals in Pakistan rose by 18 percent in the first 10 days of January 2026 compared to the previous week.

The report noted that most arrests were recorded in Chaghi, Pishin, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

Separately, Ahmadullah Wasiq, spokesman for the High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues, wrote on his X account that more than 1.719 million Afghan refugees returned from Pakistan and Iran over the past six months.

He said the migrants either returned voluntarily or were forcibly deported. Wasiq added that the distribution of residential plots to returning refugees had been accelerated following an order from the supreme leader of the IEA.

So far, 3,046 plots have been handed over in refugee townships across several provinces.

kk/sa