Nai in Exile, a media‑rights group, has condemned recent detentions of Afghan journalists in Pakistan, warning that Islamabad should not use them as leverage against the Taliban — and urging authorities not to forcibly expel them.
Nai said in a statement that it is deeply concerned over the treatment of Afghan citizens, especially journalists and media workers. According to Nai in Exile, in the past 24 hours alone, five journalists and media staff were arrested in Islamabad and sent to temporary holding camps pending deportation.
It added that those detained were subjected to physical and psychological abuse — practices the organization described as inhumane and in violation of both Pakistani law and international norms.
The group warned that forced return to Afghanistan would place these journalists and media workers at grave risk — including threats to their lives. It called on Pakistan to ensure long‑term protection for journalists and media workers residing in the country.
“Using these individuals as instruments against the Taliban is incompatible with religious, moral and international standards,” the statement said. The group further noted that under Taliban rule, members of the press and civil society are often considered enemies and may face execution.
The appeal comes amid reports that Afghan migrants and civil society activists in Islamabad were beaten and detained during a police operation at Argentina Park in Islamabad this week. According to witnesses, officers raided the park around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, forcibly dismantled tents and ordered some 400 vulnerable families to leave.
Human rights observers say the forced expulsion of migrants — including women, children and defenseless families — violates refugee protection standards and places them in grave danger once returned to Afghanistan.
