RASC News Agency: Sources among Afghanistani refugees in Pakistan report that the country’s police have arrested several Afghanistani women and children as part of an ongoing crackdown on migrants. According to these sources, the arrests occurred on Friday, January 31, in the Bharakahu district of Islamabad. Videos sent to RASC News Agency depict multiple women being taken into custody alongside their young children. In an audio recording received by the agency, a woman can be heard recounting that she was arrested along with her two small children. Afghanistani refugees in Pakistan had reported similar incidents a day earlier, alleging that Islamabad police had detained several women and children. According to them, Pakistani authorities transfer the detainees to Haji Camp, a holding facility, before forcibly deporting them to Afghanistan.
In recent months, Pakistani law enforcement has intensified its crackdown on Afghanistani migrants in the capital. The surge in arrests followed allegations by Pakistani police that Afghanistani nationals had participated in protests led by supporters of Imran Khan in November 2024. In response, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, declared that no Afghanistani citizen could reside in Islamabad without securing a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC). Amnesty International has strongly condemned the mass detentions and called for the immediate repeal of the NOC policy, denouncing it as a violation of fundamental refugee rights.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, millions of Afghanistani citizens have fled the country, seeking refuge abroad. A significant number have migrated to Iran and Pakistan, where they continue to endure precarious conditions, facing legal uncertainties and the constant threat of deportation.
