Kabul, Nov 5: Several human rights organisations have urged the Pakistan government to immediately release Afghan journalist Fatema Hamnawa and her children, who were detained amid Islamabad’s ongoing crackdown on Afghan migrants. Rights groups have also called on Pakistan to uphold its commitment to protect exiled journalists from deportation.
According to reports, Pakistan police arrested Hamnawa along with her two children as part of a large-scale operation targeting Afghan refugees. Afghanistan’s media advocacy group Nai termed the incident a “dangerous and alarming development”, warning that deporting journalists to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan could endanger their lives.
Nai appealed to Pakistani authorities to release Hamnawa and allow her to renew her visa, stressing that she was living in Pakistan legally until the government stopped renewing visas for Afghan nationals.
International rights bodies, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), condemned both Pakistan’s detentions and the Taliban’s continued repression of journalists in Afghanistan. RSF said Afghan reporters returning home face arbitrary detention and mistreatment, noting that “the Taliban treat independent journalists as criminals.”
Thousands of Afghan refugees, including women, children, and the elderly, are currently being held in Pakistani detention centres, according to Afghan media reports. Refugees have alleged that police have warned locals not to rent homes or provide aid to Afghans, threatening legal action against those who do.
An Afghan refugee, Atiqullah Mansoor, told Tolo News that many families have been detained for over 15 days under harsh conditions, while others have lost their homes to demolition drives.
With winter approaching, refugees have urged the Pakistani government to halt demolitions and deportations, warning that thousands could be left without shelter or safety amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
