Afghan Refugees Complain About Mistreatment by Pakistani Police

In recent weeks, as the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan continues, hundreds of families are being returned daily through the Torkham border crossing—most of them forcibly, with only a few returning voluntarily.

Refugees arriving via Torkham report mistreatment by Pakistani police, saying their household items and belongings were confiscated, and they were sent back to Afghanistan empty-handed.

Samad Gul, one of the returnees who had lived for years in the Chakwal area of Punjab province, said he was forcibly deported by the Pakistani police.

"I used to live in Chakwal and worked in brick kilns. But the police arrested me, took all my refugee documents, and then deported me along with my family," he said.

Another returnee, Syed Nazim, also condemned the harsh treatment by Pakistani police. He said that the forced return of Afghan refugees has led to the loss of millions of rupees in investments and businesses.

"I'm happy to be back in my homeland," he said, "because in Pakistan, the police would arrest our children and women and detain them. They treated us very badly."

According to him, police raids targeting refugees have increased significantly in recent weeks, often taking place at night.

Meanwhile, officials at the Torkham border say the number of Afghan returnees is rising every day, with over 4,000 families returning just in the past week.