Two Afghan Cultural Activists Go Missing in Islamabad Amid Rising Migrant Expulsions
Amid mounting pressure on Afghan migrants in Pakistan, the families of Syed Qasim Hashemi, a journalist, and Hamed Ehsas, an Afghan filmmaker, have reported the disappearance of the two in Islamabad. More than a month has passed since the incident, and no clues have emerged regarding their whereabouts.
According to family members, the two close friends left their home on July 4 to buy camera lenses and have not been heard from or located since. The vehicle they used was traced via GPS to the D-12 area of Islamabad, but they themselves were not seen near the vehicle.
Hamed Ehsas’s wife and Syed Qasim Hashemi’s brother told separate interviews that they have approached Pakistani police and courts during this period but have received no response. Hashemi’s brother said that 36 days have passed without news, and despite repeated visits, no official explanation about their status has been provided.
The families emphasized that the two did not have valid Pakistani residency and had moved to Pakistan with their families after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. They expressed concern over Hashemi’s and Ehsas’s safety and health and urged the Pakistani government, Islamabad police, and security agencies to investigate their disappearance urgently and seriously.
This incident occurs amid an intensified crackdown and deportation of Afghan citizens from Pakistan in recent months. Many Afghan residents in Pakistan are asylum seekers who fled security threats following political developments in Afghanistan and are awaiting resettlement in third countries.
