ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities have intensified house-to-house searches in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, detaining and expelling Afghan migrants at an accelerated pace, according to residents and human rights activists.
Afghan migrants told Amu News that since Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar ordered the expulsion of undocumented Afghans, police have ramped up arrests, harassment, and deportations. On Monday, dozens of Afghan families were reportedly detained in various neighborhoods and transported to a holding facility known as Haji Camp.
Footage obtained by Amu TV show Pakistani police conducting raids in multiple districts, including Faisal Town, B-17, I-10, Bhara Kahu, and G-13. Faisal Town is an area that hosts the highest number of Afghan immigrants in Pakistan.
“This morning, police arrested dozens of Afghan families in Faisal Town again,” said one migrant.
Another Afghan resident of Islamabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, described living in fear: “I left my home because I was terrified of being arrested. The police are everywhere, clearing entire neighborhoods.”
Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on Afghan migrants since the start of the year, not only through mass detentions and deportations but also by imposing stringent visa restrictions. Afghan nationals who previously received six-month or one-year visas now find them extended only for a month—often at a steep cost.
Human rights activists have condemned Pakistan’s actions, calling them inhumane and a violation of international humanitarian law.
“The forced deportation of Afghan refugees is against diplomatic norms and good neighborly relations,” said Razzaq Adeel, a human rights advocate. “This move puts thousands of returnees at severe security risk.”
The crackdown follows a new directive from Pakistan’s prime minister, ordering all Afghan nationals—including those with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, and those awaiting resettlement in third countries—to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31.
Pakistan hosts one of the largest Afghan refugee populations in the world, but relations between the two governments have been strained, particularly since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
