Pakistan Cuts Electricity, Water to Afghan Refugees in Camps

Images obtained show Afghan refugees in a camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, packing their belongings as they are forced to return to Afghanistan.

Many Afghan refugees in Pakistan express concern over forced deportations, arrests, and the continued closure of schools for their children.

Allah Mir Miyakhil, an activist for refugee rights in Pakistan, said: “Afghan refugees in Pakistan are being treated worse than criminals elsewhere. Schools and religious institutions for Afghan children have been shut down. Their electricity was cut off, and even clean water facilities have been taken away.”

Malik Shinwari, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said: “The process of deporting Afghan refugees from Pakistan is ongoing. The Pakistani government has decided that no Afghan will be allowed to stay without a visa.”

Some refugee rights activists emphasize the need to resolve these issues through dialogue.

Nazar Nazari, a refugee rights advocate, stated: “Forcibly deporting refugees, especially during winter, without addressing their conditions, violates human rights and international law.”

Meanwhile, Hamidullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, criticized Pakistan for arresting, mistreating, and abusing Afghan refugees, calling on the UNHCR and other refugee-support organizations to step in.

He said: “Pakistan must respect the rights of Afghan refugees under international refugee law and stop harassing and mistreating them.”

Fitrat added: “We call on the UNHCR and other support agencies to pay close attention to the refugees’ challenges and hold accountable those countries violating their rights.”

Earlier, a joint report by the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that over 130,000 Afghan refugees have been detained in Pakistan in less than five months.