Thousands of Afghan Prisoners Released from Pakistani Jails Past Two Years

The Consulate of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan, has reported the release of more than 4,200 Afghan prisoners from jails in the Sindh province of Pakistan over the past two years.

Abdul Jabbar Takhari, the Consul General of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, stated that these Afghan citizens had been arrested for various reasons, including the lack of legal documents.

A statement from the Islamic Emirate’s consulate in Karachi reads: “Over the past two years, through the efforts of the Consulate General of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan, a total of 4,268 Afghan prisoners, including women and children, have been released from various prisons in Sindh province and deported to Afghanistan at the expense of the government.”

Ehsan Ahmadzai, a migrant rights activist, stated: “Currently, it is essential for the Afghan government to negotiate with Pakistani officials regarding Afghan visas, so that they can be issued easily in Kabul, enabling Afghans to travel to Pakistan legally.”

Afghan migrants in Iran are also facing challenges such as arrests and forced deportations. Previously, a delegation from the Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate visited Iran and discussed alternative penalties for Afghan nationals facing the death penalty with Iranian judicial authorities.

The Supreme Court announced that, during this meeting, the Iranian side committed to transferring 1,500 Afghan prisoners to Afghanistan in the near future.

Bilal Omar, a political analyst, said: “Unfortunately, in recent decades, Afghan migrants have been subjected to mistreatment. Our request to the government and responsible institutions is to address this issue and facilitate the release of Afghan prisoners through dialogue and mutual understanding.”

Pakistan and Iran host the largest number of Afghan migrants, and political tensions between Afghanistan and these two countries have periodically exacerbated challenges for the migrants.

Despite repeated calls to resolve the problems faced by Afghan migrants in neighboring and regional countries, no significant steps have been taken so far.