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US urges Pakistan to fulfill obligations towards Afghan refugees
U.S. Department of State has called on all Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, including Pakistan to act according to their obligations in dealing with Afghan refugees and asylum seekers.
Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, the spokesman of the state Matthew Miller said in response to a question that these countries must respect the “the principle of non-refoulement”.
“So, we join all of our partners in urging every state, including Pakistan, to uphold their respective obligations in their treatment of refugees and asylum [seekers], and to respect the principle of non-refoulement. We strongly encourage Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Pakistan, to allow entry for Afghans seeking international protection and to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance,” said Miller.
This comes after the deadline set by the government of Pakistan for Afghan immigrants having no legal documents in that country ended on Tuesday.
The Interior Minister of the caretaker government of Pakistan, Sarfraz Bugti, has said that the process of arresting all illegal immigrants throughout Pakistan will begin on Thursday.
Bugti said that illegal immigrants will first be transferred to the designated centers, and then they will be deported from those centers to their country.
In response, the Islamic Emirate has said that the forced deportation of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan is against all international standards.
Sardar Ahmed Shakib, Chargé d’Affaires of the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, in an interview with Ariana News, called the forced deportation of Afghan immigrants a hasty and arbitrary decision by Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council for Afghanistan, in a post on X once again asked the government of Pakistan to stop deporting Afghan refugees from that country.
“I repeat my call on Pakistan to avoid yet another crisis for Afghans by cancelling their plans for mass deportations to Afghanistan. Bennett said, adding that “I am continuing to advocate for the rights of Afghans in every way possible, including with Pakistan’s authorities.”
On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) asked Pakistan to cancel the forced return of Afghan refugees. HRW has said that the Pakistani government is forcing Afghan immigrants without legal documents to return to Afghanistan by threatening, harassing and arresting them.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.
In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.
The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.
Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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