Putin
Reuters: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 3 that some Western weapons supplied to Ukraine were finding their way to the Middle East through the illegal arms market and being “sold to the Taliban and from there they go on to wherever. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: The World Health Organization has expressed concern over the situation of earthquake survivors in Herat province. The Organization stated that many people are still living in unsanitary conditions and lack access to basic life necessities. This organization, in a report published on Saturday, has emphasized that earthquake survivors in Herat are exposed to increasing health risks, exceptionally infectious and waterborne diseases, mental health issues, and social and psychological challenges, as well as potential risks of physical and sexual violence. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: For the first time in Afghanistan cricket history, they have made it to the Champions Trophy, CricTracker reported on Friday. Afghanistan will make their debut appearance at the 2025 edition of Champions Trophy that will be hosted by Pakistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: A number of international aid agencies in a joint statement have expressed concern over the uncertain fate of thousands of Afghan refugees who have been recently deported from Pakistan and warned that these returnees have nowhere to go. The Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council and the International Rescue Committee have asked aid agencies to provide funds to solve the problems of these returnees and prevent the emergence of a new crisis. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
8am: Local sources in Baghlan province have reported an explosion in the city of Pol-e Khomri, the center of the province, resulting in injuries to four individuals, including two Taliban fighters. The incident left two intelligence officers of the Taliban and two other local individuals, including a child, injured. Sources confirmed that the explosion was caused by a hand grenade. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, known as SIGAR, has stated that even two years after the complete withdrawal of international forces, the United States remains the most significant contributor to Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts. In the quarterly report on November 1st, released for presentation to the U.S. Congress, it was revealed that the United States has allocated $11.1 billion to address the situation in Afghanistan and support Afghan refugees. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: There are multiple underlying factors contributing to this mass deportation, some of which are rooted in Afghanistan. Inside Afghanistan, there is a belief that this action is an attempt by the Taliban to alter the country’s demographic landscape by relocating refugees. In private political circles, there are allegations of collusion between the Taliban and the Pakistani government in planning the transfer of refugees and the displaced population to the surrounding areas of the Qosh Tepa and Qataghanzamin canals. To mitigate public reactions, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, an Uzbek member of the Taliban from northern Afghanistan, has been appointed as the head of the commission for the management of returnees, and a ministry known as “Refugees and Returnees” is actively engaged in implementing these plans. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ayaz Gul
VOA News
November 1, 2023
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has started rounding up and deporting undocumented foreigners — including 1.7 million Afghan nationals — following a one-month deadline for voluntary departure that expired Wednesday.
Authorities have reported that nearly 250,000 Afghans have returned to their home country voluntarily in the run-up to the November 1 deadline to avoid being arrested and forcibly expelled.
The United Nations and Pakistani officials say those facing deportation include more than 600,000 people who fled Afghanistan after the Islamist Taliban returned to power in August 2021, when the United States and NATO withdrew their troops from the country.
U.S. officials say they are working closely with Pakistani counterparts to ensure the protection of at least 25,000 Afghans who could be eligible for relocation to the United States under a special immigration program for their services during the two-decade-long presence of American forces in Afghanistan.
But a senior Pakistani official said Wednesday that Islamabad had rejected the list because of significant discrepancies.
“The list of 25,000 Afghans was shared with Pakistan just days before the deportation deadline was to expire. We examined it thoroughly but found it flawed and incomplete,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for not being authorized to discuss the subject publicly.
The official added that the U.S. side eventually withdrew the list in response to Pakistan’s objections and promised to resubmit it after removing the flaws. Washington did not comment immediately on Pakistani assertions.
On Tuesday, a U.S. official said that facilitating “the safe and efficient” resettlement of Pakistan-based eligible Afghan refugees and asylum seekers is a priority for the U.S. administration.
“To help protect vulnerable individuals, we have shared a list with the government of Pakistan of more than 25,000 Afghan individuals in the U.S. resettlement and relocation pipelines,” said the U.S. official, who spoke anonymously to discuss the policy. “We are in the process of sending letters to those individuals that they can share with local authorities to help identify them as individuals in the U.S. pipeline.”
Dozens of Afghan nationals jailed for “minor crimes” also were released from a prison near the capital of Islamabad and were transported along with others to the border for repatriation Wednesday.
“This action is a testament to Pakistan’s determination to repatriate any individuals residing in the country without proper documentation,” Pakistani Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on social media platform X.
The Taliban have repeatedly called on Pakistan and other neighboring countries hosting Afghan refugees to halt their deportation. The U.N. and human rights groups have warned the Pakistani plan could expose many individuals to retribution and abuses by de facto Afghan authorities.
“We call on them not to deport Afghans forcefully without preparation; rather give them enough time, and countries should use tolerance,” a Taliban statement said Wednesday. “Those Afghans who have left the country due to political concerns, we assure them to return and live peacefully in their country.”
The Taliban have set up temporary camps on the Afghan side for returning families to provide them with immediate shelter, health care, food and other services.
Pakistan has been praised globally for hosting millions of Afghan refugees who fled the decadelong Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and ensuing factional fighting in the 1990s. Currently, more than 4 million Afghans reside in the country, including 1.4 million legally registered refugees and hundreds of thousands of documented economic migrants.
Pakistani authorities have stated that Afghans living legally in the country are not subject to the crackdown.
Islamabad defends its policy regarding foreigners without legal status, saying Afghan nationals have carried out several suicide bombings in Pakistan amid a recent spike in deadly attacks in the country being orchestrated by Taliban-allied militants from Afghan soil.
The violence has led to anti-Afghan sentiment and calls for forcing the refugee community out of the country. It comes as Pakistan struggles to address a protracted economic crisis, which has led to historic levels of inflation and energy prices.
VOA Pakistan Bureau Chief Sarah Zaman contributed to this report.