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Over 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan face deportation amid crackdown on illegal immigrants

Afghan people wait behind a fenced corridor before crossing into Pakistan at the zero point Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Nangarhar province on February 25, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 10 October 2023
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Over 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan face deportation amid crackdown on illegal immigrants

  • Afghan journalists urge Pakistani authorities to extend legal stay in the country until they are resettled to other countries
  • Pakistani federation of journalists says lives of Afghan journalists deported would be under threat in Afghanistan
Updated 10 October 2023
Aamir Saeed

ISLAMABAD: With over 200 Afghan journalists and their families facing deportation from Pakistan, a federation of Afghan journalists on Tuesday urged the Pakistani government to reconsider its decision to expel them from the country.

According to data by the Pakistan-Afghan International Forum of Journalists, at least 650 media workers fled to Pakistan fearing persecution at the hands of the Taliban after the group took over Kabul in August 2021. About 400 journalists have made it to different countries, including the US, Germany and France, but the rest have been stuck as their travel documents have expired.

Pakistan's caretaker interior minister announced last Tuesday the government would deport illegal immigrants in the country from Nov. 1. While Pakistan says the operation would not be restricted to people of any particular nationality, the move is likely to impact Afghan nationals in Pakistan the most.

“The majority of Afghan journalists entered Pakistan legally but Pakistani authorities are not extending our visas now,” Hashmat Vejdani, spokesperson of the Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile, told Arab News on Tuesday.

“Those who entered Pakistan illegally to escape Taliban persecution have also applied for visas but the government was not entertaining their applications.”

At least 600,000 Afghans fled to neighboring Pakistan after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Even before then, Pakistan hosted some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Over a million others are estimated to live in Pakistan unregistered.

Afghan journalists in Pakistan are anxiously waiting for visas from countries that previously employed them and have often complained that Pakistani police detain or threaten to arrest them for bribes, a charge police officials deny.

For over 200 Afghan journalists in Pakistan, the clock is ticking as their travel documents are expiring.

"Cases of the majority of Afghan journalists staying in Pakistan are under process for resettlement in European countries, therefore Pakistani government should reconsider its decision,” Vejdani said.

He voiced fears that Afghan journalists deported to Afghanistan would either be jailed or killed by the Taliban.

“The media in Afghanistan is in total control of the Taliban," he said. "We have worked for Western news organizations during the war so the Taliban consider us their staunch enemies."

Vejdani said Afghan journalists are ready to cooperate with the Pakistani government and called upon authorities to extend their visas till their resettlement applications are not finalized.

He said Afghan journalists and their families in Pakistan were registered with the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP), a Pakistani NGO that is an implementing partner of the UNHCR.

“Our deportation would clearly mean throwing us to the Taliban for murder," Vejdani said. "Pakistan should heed our requests for a safe and legal stay here."

Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to calls and messages seeking their version for this story.

Separately, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Tuesday urged Pakistan's government to reconsider its decision and called on media stakeholders, civil society organizations, and international governments to increase their support for Afghan journalists in exile.

“At least 200 Afghan journalists are currently refugees in Pakistan, forced to flee the Taliban’s crackdown on press freedom, including draconian restrictions on women journalists, shuttering of media houses, and rampant censorship,” the IFJ said in a statement.

In August, the IFJ and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) established two solidarity centers in Islamabad to aid Afghan journalists that provided emergency housing, legal and psychological support. One of the two centers is exclusively for women journalists.

“We have the data of 256 Afghan journalists in Pakistan, and we have been in touch with the government to chalk out a way for their stay in the country,” PFUJ President Afzal Butt told Arab News.

“We know the lives of these journalists would be in danger if deported to Afghanistan, therefore we have been trying our best for their legal stay in Pakistan until their resettlement to third countries,” Butt added.

Topics: Afghan refugee in Pakistan

Pakistan to cancel passports, register cases against deported citizens

Updated 57 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan to cancel passports, register cases against deported citizens

  • Move follows Middle East complaints over Pakistani nationals involved in begging
  • A committee has also been tasked with strengthening passport rules and regulations
Updated 57 min 44 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistan’s federal government on Saturday decided to take stringent measures against its citizens deported from other countries for illegal activities by canceling their passports and registering criminal charges, in a bid to curb a growing issue that officials say is tarnishing the country’s international image.

The move follows mounting complaints, particularly from Middle Eastern countries, about public begging and undocumented migration involving Pakistani nationals.

The decision was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad.

“It was decided during the meeting that FIRs [First Information Reports] would be registered against deported individuals and their passports would also be canceled,” an official statement released after the meeting said. “The deportees would be placed on the Passport Control List for five years.”

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said approximately 4,000 beggars had been deported by Saudi Arabia from 2022 until the end of 2024.

“Deportees are causing embarrassment for Pakistan at international level,” Naqvi said. “Thus, no leniency will be shown to them in the future.”

To further tighten passport regulations, the interior ministry also formed a committee led by the interior secretary.

According to the statement, the committee has been tasked with proposing reforms to strengthen the passport issuance process and enforce stricter scrutiny.

Last month, over 100 Pakistanis deported from various European countries arrived in Islamabad, with officials indicating that many had been involved in fraudulent or undocumented migration.

The latest measures build on earlier actions by the interior ministry aimed at discouraging illegal migration and curbing human trafficking.

Naqvi had previously announced plans to block the issuance of new travel documents to deportees and crack down on travel agents implicated in human smuggling.

Topics: interior Minister

Pakistan’s army chief hosts dinner for political leadership, praises their ‘foresight’ during India standoff

Updated 24 May 2025
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Pakistan’s army chief hosts dinner for political leadership, praises their ‘foresight’ during India standoff

  • The dinner was attended by President Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif along with other top officials
  • Field Marshal Asim Munir hails the military’s performance and the public’s resilience during the war
Updated 24 May 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief praised the political leadership’s “strategic foresight” during a four-day military clash with India, according to an official statement on Saturday, as he hosted a dinner in their honor for their role in the conflict.

The event followed a brief but intense conflict earlier this month in which both nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missile, drone and artillery strikes before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire.

As part of a series of honors marking Pakistan’s response, the government promoted the army chief, Syed Asim Munir, to the five-star rank of Field Marshal.

“In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff expressed profound gratitude to the political leadership for their strategic foresight during Marka-e-Haq and lauded the seamless inter-services coordination that ensured operational success in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” Pakistan’s military media wing, ISPR, said in a statement.

The dinner brought together top political and military leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and service chiefs, as well as leaders from major political parties.

All the participants hailed the military’s performance and the public’s resilience during what officials described as a defining moment for the nation.

Munir also praised Pakistan’s youth and media for acting as a “steel wall” against what he called a disinformation campaign launched by India.

He further acknowledged the role of Pakistani scientists, engineers and diplomats, calling their efforts “critical” to the national response.

The gathering, according to the ISPR, served as a demonstration of unity and reaffirmed Pakistan’s collective resolve to move forward with “renewed strength and cohesion.”

Topics: Army Chief General Asim Munir Pakistan India standoff Asif Zardari Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Indian troops shoot dead Pakistani crossing frontier

Updated 24 May 2025
AFP
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Indian troops shoot dead Pakistani crossing frontier

  • Incident occurred two weeks after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following a four-day conflict
  • India’s border force says the man crossed the international border and failed to stop when challenged
Updated 24 May 2025
AFP

AHMEDABAD: Indian border troops shot dead a Pakistani man who they said had crossed the international frontier and did not stop when challenged, the force said Saturday.
The shooting comes two weeks after arch-rivals India and Pakistan agreed a ceasefire after a four-day conflict, in which more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire.
India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said its troops Friday evening had spotted “one suspicious person advancing toward the border fence,” which lies beyond the international frontier in Gujarat state’s Banaskantha district.
“They challenged the intruder, but he continued to advance, prompting them to open fire,” the BSF said in a statement. “The intruder was neutralized on the spot.”
A photograph released by the force showed a dead man with greying hair.
The recent conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals was triggered by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, the deadliest on civilians in the contested Muslim-majority territory in decades.
New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it said carried out the attack, charges that Pakistan denied.

Topics: Pakistan India Ties

Pakistan PM to begin five-day tour tomorrow of Central Asia, Turkiye and Iran

Updated 24 May 2025
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Pakistan PM to begin five-day tour tomorrow of Central Asia, Turkiye and Iran

  • The development comes two weeks after Pakistan and India traded missile, drone and artillery strikes before agreeing to a truce on May 10
  • During the four-day conflict, several friendly nations supported Pakistan’s demand for a probe into an attack that triggered the standoff
Updated 24 May 2025
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on Sunday on a five-day tour of Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to hold discussions about matters of regional and international importance, the Pakistani foreign office said, weeks after a military conflict between Pakistan and India.

Pakistan and India this month traded missile, drone and artillery strikes for days, killing 70 people, before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.

The conflict was triggered by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denies complicity.

During the conflict Several friendly nations supported Pakistan’s demand for a credible, international probe into the attack as they urged the nuclear-armed archfoes to exercise restraint.

“The prime minister will have wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance,” the Pakistani foreign office said.

“He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgment for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India.”

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.

The latest conflict between the two was the deadliest in more than two decades and raised fears that it could spiral into a full-blown war.

During his visit aimed at furthering Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, Sharif will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, according to the Pakistani foreign office.

The conference, to be held on May 29-30, aims to advance global efforts in climate adaptation and resilience, with a specific focus on addressing glacial melting.

Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising temperatures and increased frequency of extreme weather events.

Officials say unusually high temperatures in Pakistan’s northern areas have resulted in rapid melting of glaciers, warning that the prolonged phenomenon could lead to water shortages and threaten lives in the longer run.

Alibaba launches online logistics services for Pakistani exporters

Updated 24 May 2025
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Alibaba launches online logistics services for Pakistani exporters

  • Pakistani small and medium-sized enterprises have long struggled with optimizing their export processes to participate in global trade
  • Alibaba says it has partnered with leading delivery companies to supporting the export of Pakistani goods to over 200 countries and regions
Updated 24 May 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Alibaba, a Chinese-owned platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, has launched online logistics services that are tailored to assist Pakistani exporters in optimizing their international trade processes, it said this week.

The explosive growth of cross-border e-commerce has created new opportunities for Pakistani small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which face significant challenges in optimizing their export processes to participate in global trade. Logistics has been identified as a major obstacle as businesses must find effective and reliable shipping solutions to ensure timely deliveries while minimizing costs and risks, according to the e-commerce giant.

Alibaba has partnered with leading international express delivery companies, such as CPEX, with the goal of supporting the export of Pakistani goods to over 200 countries and regions around the world. The service not only supports fast and reliable international shipping options but also integrates the entire logistics process from packaging and warehousing to delivery, thus helping businesses optimize costs and time.

Through its international express delivery partners, Alibaba will ensure that goods are transported safely and on schedule, while also providing detailed order tracking tools, and customs advisory services. These features will help businesses minimize risks and enhance their competitiveness in the international market.

“Online logistics services are essential for small and medium-sized enterprises in global trade. They not only streamline operations and reduce costs, but also empower businesses to reach global markets with ease,” said Summer Gao, head of global supply chain at Alibaba.

"By leveraging advanced technologies and comprehensive solutions, Alibaba.com helps support Pakistani SMEs in enhancing their competitiveness, ensuring timely deliveries, and responding swiftly to market demands, ultimately fueling their growth and success in the global arena."

Pakistan, which is currently treading a long path to economic recovery, has urged local businesses to increase exports as the government looks to boost trade and investment to revive the over $350 billion South Asian economy.

Launched in 1999, Alibaba serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering various aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently.

The e-commerce giant said its logistics services for Pakistani sellers are cost-effective, have enhanced order tracking and control capabilities, and offer a fully digitalized order fulfillment process for packages dispatched to multiple countries and regions.

“The introduction of Alibaba.com's logistics services has greatly accelerated our transaction processes and bolstered customer trust,” said Zulqarnain Baryar, CEO of Clush Industries that specializes in garment production.

"With features such as detailed tracking and optimized shipping routes, these services ensure timely deliveries and improved risk management. These enhancements have not only streamlined our operations but have also facilitated new business opportunities internationally, allowing us to confidently expand our presence."

Berry Ma, head of Pakistan business at Alibaba, said their new logistics services aim to support Pakistani exporters by providing efficient solutions to overcome traditional barriers in international trade.

“We're committed to offering essential tools to help Pakistani businesses tap into significant growth opportunities in global markets,” Ma said.

Topics: Alibaba Pakistan China Ties

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