Kabul, Nov 21 (NationPress) Numerous Afghan refugees in Pakistan have come forward, expressing their distress due to relentless pressure from the local police. Aside from conducting searches, the authorities are arresting individuals and exploiting their precarious situation for financial gain.

A report by 8AM Media, an Afghanistan-based publication, has underscored that Afghan refugees lack fundamental human rights and endure a constant state of fear and anxiety. Human rights organizations and groups supporting refugees have remained largely silent amid the uncertainty and the government’s failure to uphold its commitments concerning human rights and refugee protection.

In recent months, as tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan escalate, Islamabad has intensified its crackdown on Afghan refugees. Pakistani forces are reportedly engaging in widespread harassment of migrants daily in various locations, including Islamabad. Alongside official operations that involve the arrest of Afghan refugees without visas, individuals in plain clothes are extorting money from migrants in residential neighborhoods. Afghan nationals have reported living in inhumane conditions filled with terror and distress, with their rights as refugees being consistently disregarded.

"The situation is extremely distressing. I wish the official operations team would just arrest and take people away. This method is not acceptable; the police know that no one will report them, so they conduct individual searches. Several men in plain clothes lurk in neighborhoods, seize someone, and take them away. It’s unclear whether they are police, thieves, or in collusion with the police. Now, even if an ordinary person commits theft or kidnapping under the guise of the police, people assume he is a police officer," quoted one Afghan national.

Another refugee, Junaid, recounted a recent incident where he was stopped by a man in plain clothes while out shopping. "He claimed to be a police officer and demanded to see my visa. When I asked for identification, he reacted violently and threatened arrest if I protested. I resisted, but two other men appeared and insisted I get into their car. I had to pay 15,000 rupees to secure my release. Now, we can't tell who is really police. They are exploiting our vulnerability to fill their pockets," Junaid said.

Mohammad, another refugee, accused Pakistani police of extortion, calling the current situation in Pakistan truly inhumane and unbearable. "I’ve been confined to my home day and night. During operations, I’m forced to run and hide. But now, out of fear of individuals in plain clothes, we suspect everyone is police. No one understands how they detain people, rob their possessions, and then release them. This situation is truly inhumane and unbearable. We don’t know if Pakistani authorities are aware of this abuse or if they have allowed such humiliation and looting to occur," Mohammad stated.

Meanwhile, a number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan have sent open letters to the United Nations and other organizations involved in refugee evacuation, expressing their concerns over increased arrests, harassment, and forced deportations.

On November 17, Afghan refugees addressed a letter to the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, and both domestic and international media, stating that forced deportation to Afghanistan would expose them to imprisonment, torture, or even death under Taliban rule. In their letter, they mentioned that landlords have pressured them to vacate their homes immediately or provide valid visas.