Pakistan’s Deportation Drive: Afghan Refugees at Risk

Pakistan’s streets are erupting. Sirens wail through Islamabad and Rawalpindi as police swarm neighborhoods, kicking down doors and hauling Afghan refugees into the night. The clock’s ticking—March 31 looms, the deadline for a brutal deportation plan that’s already snagged over 800 lives in the capital since January 1, according to the Joint Action Committee for Refugees. This isn’t a quiet crackdown. It’s a full-on blitz, and the world’s watching in shock.

The numbers hit hard: 783,918 Afghans forced back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan since October 2023, per Amnesty International’s latest count. That’s not a typo—nearly a million people, ripped from homes they’ve known for decades, dumped into a war-torn abyss. Pakistan’s government calls it the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan.” Critics scream it’s a human rights nightmare unfolding live.

Tonight, at 11:45 PM PDT, witnesses reported chaos near Islamabad’s G-9 sector. Families scrambled to hide kids as police vans rolled in, lights flashing. One man yelled, “They took my brother—no papers, no warning!” No names, no time for goodbyes. The United Nations says 9,000 Afghans were deported in 2024 alone, 1,200 in December. Now, with two days until the cutoff, the pace is relentless.

Dawn Raids: A City Under Siege

It started at 5:00 AM local time today—7:30 PM PDT yesterday. Police hit the ground running in Rawalpindi’s cramped alleys. By noon, 150 Afghans were detained, per Reuters’ on-the-scene tally. Photos show men handcuffed, women clutching toddlers, all shoved into trucks. The government’s orders are clear: no Afghan stays in these twin cities without a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Good luck getting one—officials admit they’re near impossible to snag.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi dropped the bombshell in January: “No Afghan nationals in Islamabad without an NOC.” Why? He tied it to November 2024 protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), where 12 died in clashes. Naqvi’s line: Afghans fueled the unrest. Evidence? Thin. The backlash? Explosive. Human rights groups call it racial profiling, with Pashtuns—Afghan or not—caught in the dragnet.

By 3:00 PM local time, holding centers overflowed. Amnesty International says at least seven sites deny detainees lawyers or family contact. One center in Karachi reported 300 crammed into a space built for 100. No food, no water for hours. A witness told AP, “They’re treating us like animals.” The stench of panic hangs thick.

The Global Echo: Outrage Goes Live

At 8:00 AM GMT—1:00 AM PDT—UN agencies UNHCR and IOM fired off a joint statement. “Pakistan must stop this now,” they demanded, citing 71% of Afghan refugees as women and children. The Taliban’s grip on Afghanistan bans girls from school, jails activists, and tortures dissenters. Deportation isn’t just uprooting—it’s a death sentence for some.

BBC Breaking (@BBCBreaking) tweeted at 9:15 AM GMT: “UN warns Pakistan’s Afghan deportations risk ‘human rights catastrophe’ as deadline nears.” The post racked up 12,000 retweets by noon PDT. X buzz is electric—verified users like @ReutersAsia tag it a “breaking point” for Pakistan’s global rep.

In Washington, 10:00 AM EDT, State Department spokesperson Ned Price called it “deeply troubling.” No sanctions yet, but the tone’s sharp. London’s Foreign Office echoed at 2:00 PM GMT: “Pakistan must honor non-refoulement.” That’s the legal shield against sending people to harm. Pakistan’s not listening—they’re not even a signer of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Border Hell: Torkham’s Breaking Point

Cut to Torkham, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, 4:00 PM local time—5:30 AM PDT. Dust chokes the air as 300 families cross daily, says the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Since October 2023, 200,000 have stumbled back, most with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. Today, 15,000 crossed in 24 hours, IRC stats confirm. Trucks groan under piles of mattresses and pots—lives reduced to scraps.

A mother told Reuters at 6:00 PM local time, “We’ve lived here 20 years. Now what?” Her son, 17, born in Pakistan, got deported last week. His whereabouts? Unknown. The Taliban’s waiting on the other side, and Afghanistan’s reeling—6.1 million displaced, 29.2 million needing aid, per UN figures from October 2023. Winter’s coming fast, and tents are scarce.

At Chaman, another border post, 1,000 wait in limbo, per AP’s 7:00 PM local update. Deputy Commissioner Raja Athar Abbas said, “We’re deporting 4,000 today.” That’s a city’s worth of people, gone. Bulldozers leveled homes in illegal settlements hours ago—shacks flattened, families stranded.

Why Now? The Political Fuse :

Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar lit this fuse in October 2023. “Security and economy,” he said, blaming Afghans for 14 of 24 suicide attacks that year. Hard proof? Murky. Analysts see a deeper game—elections loom in 2025, and anti-immigrant heat wins votes. Hyperinflation’s biting, crime’s spiking, and Afghans are the scapegoat.

Then came November 26, 2024. PTI protests rocked Islamabad, leaving 12 dead. Naqvi pointed at Afghans, no data attached. By January 2025, 986 deportations hit the books, per IOM. Now, with March 31 closing in, the government’s doubling down. A leaked January 29 memo, cited by Amnesty, ordered all Afghans out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi by month’s end—some relocated, most deported.

Voices in the Dark: Fear Takes Hold

At 9:00 PM local time in Peshawar, 50 miles from Torkham, a refugee camp hums with dread. “They raided us last night,” a man told Al Jazeera. “No warning, just guns.” His wife’s gone—detained at 2:00 AM. He’s got two kids, no papers, and 48 hours to vanish.

In Karachi, 11:00 PM local, lawyer Moniza Kakar fights for 1,500 arrested Afghans since September 2023. “Even legal refugees are swept up,” she told TIME. Her caseload’s tripled. Police demand bribes—$830 exit fees for those dodging Afghanistan, per Human Rights Watch. Pay or pray.

What It Means Now: Afghan Refugees

This isn’t just Pakistan’s mess—it’s a global gut punch. Right now, 1.45 million registered Afghan refugees hang on in Pakistan, their stay extended to June 2025, per UNHCR. But the undocumented? They’re fair game, and 800,000 more face the axe in phase two, Al Jazeera reports. That’s a tidal wave hitting Afghanistan, already drowning in crisis—1,400 dead from Herat’s October 2023 quakes, per OCHA.

Economically, Pakistan’s torching bridges. Afghan-owned assets—$4 billion—seized since 2023, says Wikipedia’s tally. Trade routes could choke if Taliban retaliates. Politically, Islamabad’s betting on fear to rally voters, but the UN’s glare might spark aid cuts. For refugees, it’s survival mode—flee, hide, or face the abyss.

Tonight, at 12:15 AM PDT, the world holds its breath. Two days left. Detentions climb. Borders buckle. Stay sharp with Ongoing Now 24.