Report by Ahmad Sohail Parto)Islamabad, Pakistan To: His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

(Report by Ahmad Sohail Parto)

Islamabad, Pakistan To: His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Subject: Complaints from representatives of Afghan refugees living in the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi regarding the constant harassment and arrests of Afghan refugees by the Pakistani police

Your Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

As you are well aware, following the fall of the previous Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, thousands of individuals, including political and tribal leaders, human rights and civil activists, political activists, military officers, and others whose lives were in danger and could no longer remain in Afghanistan, migrated to neighboring countries, including Pakistan. Over the past three years, they have faced serious challenges and difficulties.

One of the most pressing and alarming issues is that at the beginning of each new year, the Pakistani government targets Afghan refugees in this country—especially in the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi—subjecting them to harassment, arrests, insults, and humiliation.

At the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, the Pakistani police in Islamabad and Rawalpindi started arresting and harassing Afghan refugees. From December 31, 2024, to the date of writing this letter (January 8, 2025), the arrests of Afghan refugees in the aforementioned cities have continued, with thousands of men and women, young and old, being detained and humiliated. Such behavior is undoubtedly alarming and in direct violation of all United Nations norms and regulations regarding refugees and displaced persons.

Furthermore, house-to-house searches and arrests of Afghan refugees in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have disrupted their lives, deprived their children of education, and added even more burdens to the already suffering Afghan refugees. This behavior has caused severe anxiety and despair among the refugees. Some of them, despite facing serious threats to their lives in Afghanistan, are now considering returning to Afghanistan under Taliban rule if their voices remain unheard.

Therefore, on behalf of Afghan refugees residing in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, we request your kind attention and assistance in addressing this issue. We urge you to employ effective measures and tools to exert the necessary pressure on the Pakistani government to cease the wrongful actions and harassment of Afghan refugees and to respect their lives, honor, and property in accordance with United Nations migration regulations.

We also call on Afghanistan’s compassionate representative to the United Nations to seriously follow up on this matter and cooperate with us in resolving the issues mentioned above.

Sincerely,

Representatives of Afghan Refugees Residing in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan