Ariana: Nepal’s U-19 cricket team defeated Afghanistan by 85 runs via the DLS method in the rain-hit final match of their three-game series at Mulpani Cricket Stadium. However, Afghanistan won the series 2–1, having already secured victory in the first two match. Click here to read more (external link).
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8am: The Taliban have established a “Permanent Housing and Land Distribution Committee for Kunduz Migrants” in the northeastern province of Kunduz. This committee is tasked with distributing land to Taliban fighters and their families residing in Pakistan. A letter from this committee, obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, reveals that the Taliban have called on all individuals who returned to Kunduz from neighboring countries following their takeover to report to the Urban Development Directorate under Taliban control to receive land. A Kunduz resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that the current land distribution policy continues the former governments’ strategy of “fostering settlers.” He noted that the Taliban are subtly and systematically working to change the overall demographic structure of the province by allocating more land to their loyalists. He added that now, with the distribution of land to Pakistanis underway, the process is ongoing. He stressed that people currently have no voice, and anyone who opposes or criticizes the policy is eliminated by the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: Afghan refugees in Pakistan are reportedly facing abuse and property looting during forced expulsions, according to officials’ statements. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations of Afghanistan has condemned the ongoing detention and forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan. According to the ministry, these migrants are subjected to violence and their belongings are seized by Pakistanis during their forced return. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: The Afghanistan national under-17 football players have been eliminated from the 2025 AFC U-17 Asian Cup after suffering two defeats against their opponents. In their second match on Monday night, as part of the 2025 Asian Cup, the national team faced South Korea and suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat, which led to their elimination from the tournament. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ariana: The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has rejected reports that US military planes have been landing at Bagram Air Base. Addressing rumors circulating on social media about the return of US troops, and of a C-17 transport plane landing at the base, Mujahid said Sunday no American military planes have landed at the airfield. He said the IEA will not allow this to happen. He said the reports were “propaganda aimed at destroying public minds”. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s current plan to expel millions of Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan is sweeping in scale, dangerously short-sighted, and irresponsibly politicised. The Taliban regime’s response, meanwhile, has been equally dismal and reprehensible. International human rights organisations, refugee advocacy bodies, and the United Nations have repeatedly urged Pakistan to refrain from this humanitarian catastrophe. The true motivation behind the Pakistani government’s latest actions appears to be political frustration—an attempt to pressure the Taliban into aligning with Islamabad’s security agenda. There is little doubt that supporting the Taliban’s return to power was a grave strategic miscalculation by Pakistan—one whose consequences both countries are now forced to endure. Click here to read more (external link).
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Farhad Shinwari,
Azmat Ali Shah and
Kian Sharifi
April 7, 2025
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Pakistan’s plan to deport millions of Afghan migrants has drawn sharp criticism as the country begins implementing its controversial policy.
Rights groups warn that many returnees face severe risks in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, including persecution, violence, and economic hardship. Vulnerable individuals such as women, journalists, human rights defenders, and former government officials are particularly at risk.
The government had initially set March 31 as the deadline for Afghan migrants to leave voluntarily or face deportation. However, the deadline was postponed until April 10 due to the Eid al-Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, officials said.
The delay provides a brief reprieve for tens of thousands of Afghans but does not alter the government’s goal of expelling up to 3 million migrants by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, around 40,000 Afghans in Pakistan await uncertain resettlement to third countries, mostly in the West. Many fled after the Taliban’s 2021 return, fearing retribution due to ties with the United States, NATO, and other Western organizations.
Who Is Being Deported?
The deportation campaign targets Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, undocumented individuals, and those who arrived after the Taliban’s return to power.
There are around 800,000 ACC card holders and 1.4 million Afghans who have been issued Proof of Registration (POR) cards by the UN refugee agency. POR card holders are not yet being deported, Pakistani officials say, as their permits expire in June.
ACC holders are granted temporary permission to reside in Pakistan, but the validity and duration of their stay are determined by the federal government. Unlike POR cardholders, ACC holders do not have guaranteed protections against deportation beyond the government’s specified deadlines.
This poses another problem, as members of the same family can hold different immigration statuses.
That’s the case for Rehmat Khan, a man in his 50s who is facing immediate deportation because he is an ACC card holder, while the other members of his family are POR card holders.
“I don’t know how I can leave my family behind, and I don’t know who will support them when I am deported to Afghanistan,” he told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal.
Rehmat Khan is one of approximately 20,000 Afghans who live in Jalala refugee camp, some 150 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. Residents of the camp have been formally notified to prepare to leave.
Most of the Afghans in the camp are descendants of refugees who migrated to Pakistan after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Many are in their 30s, meaning they have never lived in Afghanistan and consider Pakistan their home.
The camp functions as a small village, with several schools, houses mostly made of mud, and a makeshift bazaar.
“I am in 11th grade. Sending me back to Afghanistan at this point in the school year will ruin my future,” a student who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons told Radio Mashaal. “There are no educational opportunities there, and I am unfamiliar with the education system. I was born and raised here, and I know this place better than Afghanistan.”
A holding camp to process the relocation of refugees has been established in Landi Kotal in Peshawar, where Frontier Corps paramilitary forces and local police are deployed.
While no refugees are currently housed in the camp, officials expect an influx of families in the coming days as the repatriation process gains momentum.
Rights Groups Alarmed by ‘Cruel’ Deadline
The United Nations has expressed alarm over the plan, warning that some people would be at risk once in Afghanistan.
“We urge Pakistan to continue to provide safety to Afghans at risk, irrespective of their documentation status,” said Philippa Candler, UNHCR’s country representative, said in a statement on February 5, when the initial deadline was set.
Amnesty International has also condemned the deportations, calling them a violation of international human rights law.
“The Pakistani government’s unyielding and cruel deadline to remove Afghan refugees shows little respect for international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement,” Amnesty’s deputy regional director for South Asia, Isabelle Lassee, said on March 26.
She added that portraying Afghan refugees as a threat is “disingenuous” and scapegoats a community that has fled persecution.
Despite mounting criticism, Pakistani officials defend the policy as necessary for national security and resource management.
The Pakistani government has often blamed militant violence and criminal activity on Afghan citizens, allegations rejected by the extremist Taliban-led government in Kabul.
Amu: Pakistan has forcibly deported more than 650 Afghan nationals in the past four days, as authorities accelerate the second phase of a controversial campaign to expel undocumented migrants. According to Pakistani media reports, more than 140 Afghans were deported on Sunday, April 6, alone via the Torkham border crossing, while at least 50 others were detained in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Click here to read more (external link).
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