At least four people have died and thousands have been put behind bars as Pakistani authorities crackdown on Afghan refugees.
Afghans make up one of the largest refugee populations worldwide with a large number of them registered in Pakistan. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 has increased the number of Afghan refugees entering neighbouring countries.
Pakistan has an agreement with Afghanistan and the UNHCR, which allows the UNHCR to provide Afghan refugees with registration documents that entitle them to stay in Pakistan and open bank accounts.
Lawyers representing Afghans in detention were quoted as saying that at least four people have died in police custody, and thousands more, including children, are being held in prisons as per a report by The Guardian.
The report further stated that Pakistan has hardened its stance and launched a crackdown against Afghan refugees.
However, Pakistani authorities denied there was a crackdown against Afghan refugees and added that they are only deporting unregistered refugees.
Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of terrorism this year. Earlier, a blast in Peshawar mosque inside a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.
On February 17th, three militants from the banned TTP stormed into Karachi police headquarters, leading to an hour-long operation. During the operation, three militants were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official, and a civilian embraced martyrdom.
TTP has close links with Afghan Taliban.
