Pakistan’s mass expulsion of Afghans puts writers, journalists and human rights defenders at grave risk

By A Representative

The government of Pakistan is facing urgent calls from international organisations to immediately halt the ongoing mass expulsion of Afghan nationals, amid mounting concerns that the policy endangers the lives of thousands, including writers, journalists, artists and human rights defenders who are at risk of persecution by the Taliban. The move, known officially as the ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’, was first announced on 3 October 2023 and has since triggered widespread alarm among human rights bodies and UN agencies.

Despite repeated warnings from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistani authorities have stepped up their deportation campaign. In April 2025 alone, over 30,000 Afghans were forcibly returned, a figure that underscores the speed and scale of the operation. These deportations are being carried out in violation of Pakistan’s international human rights obligations, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to a country where they face serious threats to life or freedom.

Many of those being deported include individuals who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control in August 2021. Among them are journalists, artists and human rights activists who continue to face the threat of arbitrary arrest, torture and imprisonment for their expression of dissent or promotion of fundamental freedoms. UN experts have highlighted that deported Afghan women and girls face extreme repression under the Taliban regime—describing their treatment as a form of “gender apartheid”.

As humanitarian visa pathways remain largely suspended and international support for resettlement weakens—particularly from the US, UK and Germany—many Afghans who had sought temporary refuge in Pakistan now find themselves stranded in precarious and unsafe conditions. The Pakistani authorities’ campaign has also led to mass arrests, harassment and intimidation of Afghan communities, deepening the climate of fear and insecurity for over a million Afghan refugees and asylum seekers still residing in the country.

In a joint statement issued on 28 May 2025, a coalition of international organisations condemned the deportations and called on Pakistan to immediately suspend its repatriation plan. They also urged the international community to provide urgent and safe pathways for at-risk Afghans to seek asylum and rebuild their lives in safety. The undersigned organisations include PEN International, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Free Press Unlimited, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), Index on Censorship, and others committed to defending free expression and human rights.

Signed: Afghan Journalists in Exile in North America and Europe (AJE); Artists at Risk Connection (ARC); Committee to Protect Journalists; Free Press Unlimited; Front Line Defenders; Index on Censorship; International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN); NAI Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan (NAI-SOMA); PEN Afghanistan; PEN America; PEN Germany; PEN International; PEN Norway; Reporters Without Borders (RSF); The International Association of Women in Radio & Television (IAWRT).

Comments

Gujarat minority rights group seeks suspension of Botad police officials for brutal assault on minor

By A Representative A human rights group, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat, has written to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, demanding the immediate suspension and criminal action against police personnel of Botad police station for allegedly brutally assaulting a minor boy from the Muslim community.

On Teachers’ Day, remembering Mother Teresa as the teacher of compassion

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ It is Teachers’ Day once again! Significantly, the day also marks the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta (still lovingly called Mother Teresa). In 2012, the United Nations, as a fitting tribute to her, declared this day the International Day of Charity. A day pregnant with meaning—one that we must celebrate as meaningfully as possible.

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

Is U.S. fast losing its financial and technological edge under Trump’s second tenure?

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

Bhojpuri cinema’s crisis: When popularity becomes an excuse for vulgarity

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Bhojpuri cinema is expanding rapidly. Songs from new films are eagerly awaited, and the industry is hailed for its booming business. Yet, big money and mass popularity do not automatically translate into quality cinema or meaningful content. The market has compelled us to celebrate numbers, even when what is being produced is deeply troubling.

What mainstream economists won’t tell you about Chinese modernisation

By Shiran Illanperuma China’s modernisation has been one of the most remarkable processes of the 21st century and one that has sparked endless academic debate. Meng Jie (孟捷), a distinguished professor from the School of Marxism at Fudan University in Shanghai, has spent the better part of his career unpacking this process to better understand what has taken place.

Counterview

Search This Blog