Pakistan’s FIA arrests 34 Afghans for travelling towards Gwadar without documents
Quetta, May 13 (IANS) As many as 34 Afghan nationals have been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for entering Pakistan and travelling towards Balochistan’s Gwadar without necessary documents, local media reported on Wednesday.
The FIA spokesman said its Turbat wing carried out a raid at the CPEC road area after receiving a tip-off and arrested 34 undocumented Afghan nationals who were allegedly trying to enter Iran through the Gwadar area, Pakistan’s daily Dawn reported.
The arrested Afghan nationals include men, women and children. After initial questioning, a case was lodged against them, and further investigation has been launched to find the perpetrators and networks involved in the illegal movement of foreign nationals.
He stated that the operation was conducted as part of efforts being made to curb illegal human smuggling and undocumented cross-border movement, Dawn reported.
Last week, the Afghanistan Media Support Organisation (AMSO) said that Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been facing arbitrary arrests, mistreatment, extortion and the threat of forced deportation.
In a report released on May 8, the AMSO said that more than 3.4 million Afghan migrants have been deported from Pakistan and Iran since 2023 amid escalating crackdowns on undocumented foreigners, Afghanistan’s news agency Khaama Press reported.
According to the report, 68.3 per cent of surveyed Afghans said they have been arrested or imprisoned, while 96.4 per cent of detainees reported facing abuse during arrest or detention.
As per the report, 85.7 per cent of respondents were forced to pay money to avoid arrest or get released from detention facilities.
The report said that 75.6 per cent of respondents faced threats, humiliation and other forms of psychological abuse, while 72.4 per cent of respondents were detained for more than 48 hours without judicial review, Khaama Press reported.
The organisation said that none of the deported individuals received an individual risk assessment before deportation from Pakistan.
The AMSO added that the report was prepared jointly with the World Organisation Against Torture and presented to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.
The findings were based on a survey conducted of 41 Afghan nationals with six in-depth interviews and documentation from organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organisation for Migration, Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Pakistan has intensified the deportation of undocumented Afghans since late 2023, citing security concerns and economic pressures.
–IANS
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