Two hundred journalists, led by the Federation of Journalists in Exile, have written a letter to Pakistan’s acting prime minister calling for a ban on their deportation.
Afghan journalists in Pakistan are in a dire situation and their families will also face danger if they are deported from Pakistan, the letter said.
Earlier, the Islamic Emirate pledged they would talk with Pakistani officials and said that Afghan refugees should be treated appropriately in the country.
“This decision to deport migrants and refugees from Pakistan has raised deep concerns among our colleagues,” the letter said.
Members of the Federation of Afghan Journalists are extremely concerned about the situation of these journalists and their families due to the uncertainty of the results of their visa extension applications.
“The psychological problems that we journalists face are being expelled from our homes in case we are arrested by the Pakistani police or deported from Pakistan,” said Shafiullah Doost, a member of the Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile.
Meanwhile, a number of Afghan journalists in Pakistan say they have arrived with many challenges but are now worried about their deportation.
“You know that the offensive of Pakistani forces to detain Afghan refugees in this country is very intense and in most cases the program is implemented in such a way that all human ethics are violated,” said Mohammad Jan Tamkin, head of the cultural committee of the Afghan Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile.
“Afghan journalists have been in indescribable conditions in Pakistan for two years and no institution has paid attention to them,” said Faizullah Turk, a reporter.
Earlier, officials of the Islamic Emirate in talks with Pakistani officials said that Afghan refugees should be treated appropriately in the country.
“The Afghan refugees are living in different countries, but the attitude must be humane and they should not be forced to leave their homes or be persecuted and pressured,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Concerns have been raised as Pakistan’s interior minister said he would deport more than 1.7 million Afghan refugees illegally in Pakistan by November 1. However, the Pakistani officials’ comments were met with sharp reactions from Kabul.
