Hundreds of Afghan Migrants Arrested in Pakistan Amid Rising Tensions
Pakistani media outlets have reported that police have detained hundreds of Afghan migrants following escalating tensions and clashes with the Taliban.
According to a report by Dawn, a local court in Peshawar on Sunday sent hundreds of Afghan nationals into judicial custody. The detainees had been arrested a day earlier from different parts of the city.
The newspaper described chaotic scenes at the multi-story judicial complex located along Khyber Road, where police transported groups of detained Afghans from various precincts throughout the morning.
Due to the high number of detainees, accommodating all of them within the court premises proved difficult, the report added.
The Peshawar court also ordered the release of hundreds of Afghan nationals who possessed valid visas or other legal residency documents, directing authorities to free them from police custody.
In a separate development, police in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrested 174 Afghan asylum seekers and transferred them to prison after registering cases against them.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, particularly since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and subsequent conflicts. However, relations have grown increasingly strained in recent years over security concerns and cross-border militancy.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led authorities in Kabul of failing to curb militant activities targeting Pakistan, prompting stricter immigration enforcement and deportation campaigns against undocumented Afghans.
Authorities have intensified crackdowns on undocumented Afghan migrants following renewed tensions with the Taliban. Reports indicate that house-to-house searches are being conducted in several cities, leading to further arrests and detentions.
The post Hundreds of Afghan Migrants Arrested in Pakistan Amid Rising Tensions appeared first on Khaama Press.