Day: June 10, 2023

Pakistan is continuing a months-long crackdown on Afghan refugees living in the country, detaining hundreds of people accused of lacking proper documentation.

Taliban leaders have asked Pakistan to stop the process "immediately." Not only has it continued, but Afghan refugees in Pakistan have told VOA that the crackdown in recent days has intensified in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and adjacent areas.

"Unfortunately, the detentions have intensified, and it still continues," said Shukria, an Afghan refugee who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover.

Shukria, who asked that her full name be withheld, told VOA that the security forces arrested "even those refugees who have UNHCR’s documents."

She added that some Afghan refugees were arrested at their homes.

"In the places where most Afghans live, Pakistani police arrest Afghans from their houses. They know where they are living ... as they were required to register in the nearest police station," she said.

Shukria said that "among those arrested include women and children."

She added that Afghan refugees are "terrified."

"Most of the Afghans do not want to get out of their houses," she said.

The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, in a tweet Thursday, said that Taliban officials at the embassy met with officials of Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and had a "serious discussion on the detentions and harassment of Afghans in Pakistan, and it should stop immediately."

"The Pakistani side assured the leadership of the [Afghan] embassy of cooperation and added that they only arrest those who do not have legal documents."

Abdul Karim Haqqani, a Taliban official in the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, told VOA on Wednesday that 300-400 Afghans have been detained by Pakistani security forces.

He added that they are trying to negotiate with the Pakistani officials for their "immediate release."

Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s newly appointed special envoy to Afghanistan, told VOA that those Afghans "without proper documents, or he or she has overstayed their visa limit, there is a law that they will be detained."

Quoting Pakistani officials, local media reported that undocumented Afghans face deportation.

But Arsala Khan, an Afghan refugee who works as a laborer at Islamabad’s Fruit and Vegetable Market, told VOA that he was detained while working even though he had his refugee card on him.

"I was halfway loading a car. I was arrested though I showed my smart card to them," said Khan, who said he was later released on bail.

The government of Pakistan, with the support of the United Nations, began issuing smart cards to Afghan refugees in Pakistan in April 2021.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stated that more than 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees are in Pakistan.

The U.N. refugee agency says about 3.7 million Afghans are living in Pakistan.

Of about 1.6 million Afghans who fled Afghanistan to neighboring countries after the Taliban seized power in August 2021, about 600,000 went to Pakistan, according to the agency.

Devon Cone, senior advocate for women and girls at Refugees International, told VOA that refugees who fled to Pakistan after August 2021 "bring a lot of challenges."

Cone said that the Afghans who arrived in Pakistan after the fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban have "limited opportunities."

Cone added that newly arrived Afghan refugees in Pakistan are "running out of money. Most of them sold all their belongings in Afghanistan, and almost two years later, they’ve run out of money ... Their visas expired. They can’t work in the labor market. They can’t access public education."

"And finally, they have mental stress and trauma from having had to flee Afghanistan, [and] not being able to go back," Cone said.

Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, told VOA that once refugees cross the border, they have "a right to international protection."

"All [refugees] have the right to have their asylum cases treated seriously and fairly," he said.

Source: Voice of America

The Pakistan Meteorological Department said Sunday that Cyclone Biparjoy, a “very severe cyclonic storm,” is over the east-central Arabian Sea. It is “maintaining its intensity” and is located about 840 kilometers south of Karachi, 830 kilometers south of Thatta and 930 kilometers southeast of Ormara.

Biparjoy is traveling with maximum sustained winds of 130 to 140 kph, with maximum wave heights between 7.5 and 8.5 meters.

The weather forecasters say Biparjoy could evolve into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm.”

The Pakistan Meteorological Department predicts Biparjoy will “most likely” travel in a north-northeast direction toward Southeast Sindh-Indian Gujarat coast.

Source: Voice of America

The powerful cyclone, Biparjoy, is currently making its way north-northeast over the east-central Arabian Sea, as per the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The cyclone is located approximately 910 kilometers south of Karachi, 890 kilometers south of Thatta, and 990 kilometers southeast of Ormara.

PMD reports that the cyclone has maximum sustained surface winds of 120-130 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 150 km/h. Favorable conditions such as warm sea surface temperatures, low vertical wind shear, and upper-level divergence are contributing to the cyclone’s intensification.

There is still uncertainty regarding the cyclone’s landfall location. Some predict that it will make landfall along the Makran-North Oman coast, while others suggest that it could hit the Indian Gujarat-Sindh coast. PMD expects the cyclone to continue moving north-northeast for the next 18-24 hours before slightly recurving north-northwest.

The Met. department is urging residents in affected areas to take necessary precautions. These include staying indoors if possible, closing all windows and doors, securing loose outdoor objects, and having a plan in place in case of power outages or flooding. Fishermen are also advised to avoid venturing out to sea until the cyclone has passed.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The Karachi administration has banned fishing, sailing, swimming, and bathing in the sea under Section 144 to avoid any untoward incident of shipwreck or drowning. The decision was made in response to the threat of a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Biparjoy, which is currently located about 910 kilometers south of Karachi.

The VSCS is expected to intensify further and move north-northeast gradually during the next 24 hours. It is then expected to move gradually north-northwestwards during the subsequent three days.

With its probable north-northeast track, the VSCS is expected to bring rain-thunderstorm with some heavy falls and squally winds to the Sindh-Makran coast from Tuesday night, or Wednesday morning. High-intensity winds may cause damage to loose and vulnerable structures.

The Karachi administration has urged citizens to stay safe and avoid going to the sea during this time. Anyone violating the ban will be booked under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Source: Pro Pakistani