RASC News Agency: Local sources in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, have reported that Usman, a former officer of the Afghanistani National Army, ended his life by suicide on Sunday, April 20, in the city of Rawalpindi. He reportedly hanged himself after prolonged psychological distress linked to an indefinite delay in his U.S. immigration application and increasing fears of deportation. According to family acquaintances, Usman was originally from Khwaja Ghar district in Takhar province and had served in the Herat Army Corps as well as central units of the Ministry of Defense under the former Afghanistani Republic. Following the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul, he fled to Pakistan, hoping to be relocated to the United States through a special visa program designed for military personnel and affiliates of the former government.
However, his application became mired in uncertainty, as the U.S. government suspended or significantly delayed several key resettlement initiatives. Usman, who had two wives and four children one family residing in Afghanistan and the other in Pakistan was reportedly overwhelmed by mounting economic hardship, legal limbo, and the constant threat of forced repatriation. Close contacts say he had been living under immense emotional strain for months and had gradually lost hope for a stable and secure future. This tragic incident highlights a broader humanitarian crisis facing thousands of former Afghanistani servicemen in Pakistan. Many of them are living without legal status, barred from employment, and subjected to increasing harassment by local authorities. Some have been detained or warned of imminent deportation. They remain ineligible for basic rights and protections while their U.S. immigration cases remain stalled.
Usman’s family has called on the international community, particularly the United States and allied nations, to take immediate action to address the dire circumstances of vulnerable Afghanistani refugees especially former soldiers and civil servants whose lives are at risk. They have also urged global human rights organizations to intervene swiftly to prevent further tragedies among this forgotten population. As of this report, neither Pakistani authorities nor international agencies have issued an official statement regarding Usman’s death.
