RASC News Agency: Following the disappearance of three Afghanistani citizens in Pakistan, the Federation of Human Rights Defenders in Exile expressed concern about the safety of Afghanistani refugees in Pakistan. According to a statement released by the federation on Saturday, April 20th, Afghanistani refugees in Pakistan face risks of armed attacks, arrests, and abductions.
Sources close to Abdul Wahed Rasooli, the former head of Kabul Bank in Balkh, told the media on Friday night that he and two of his companions disappeared from the I-10 area of Islamabad. According to Rasooli’s family members, despite repeated visits to police stations in the city, the police have not yet confirmed his or his companions’ arrest.
The statement from the International Federation of Human Rights Defenders noted that the immigration cases of Afghanistanis residing in Pakistan are not being processed quickly, and they face the risk of deportation and Taliban retaliation. The federation called on host countries to develop a comprehensive plan for the safe transfer of Afghanistani refugees from Pakistan.
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, many citizens, especially former military personnel, government employees, human rights activists, and journalists, have fled to Pakistan and Iran. At the same time, Afghanistani refugees in Pakistan fear armed attacks and deportation back to Afghanistan under Taliban rule.