Peshawar Court Halts Deportation of 140 Afghan Families
The Peshawar High Court has ordered the Pakistani government to halt the deportation, detention, and transfer of around 140 Afghan families and several other Afghan nationals for the next 60 days, or until a final decision is made regarding their asylum requests. This ruling was issued following the review of petitions filed by these individuals.
According to a report by the newspaper “Dawn,” a panel of judges from the court also mandated the Pakistani government to formally examine the asylum status of these applicants and reach a decision accordingly.
Most of these Afghan citizens have approached the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office seeking international support and resettlement in third countries. It is reported that among them are former employees of the Afghan government, former security and defense personnel, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, university professors, teachers, journalists, civil society activists, and a number of women employed in the private sector; all of whom left Afghanistan following the country’s political developments.
The Pakistani government defended its actions in court, arguing that based on the final phase of the program to repatriate illegal foreign nationals, any Afghan citizen residing in Pakistan without a valid visa and passport is subject to deportation, even if their resettlement case in a third country is under review.
In contrast, the petitioners’ lawyers emphasized that many of their clients are registered with the UNHCR, have completed interviews and security screenings, and some have been approved or referred for transfer to third countries. They warned that deporting these individuals could seriously disrupt the resettlement process.
