Pakistan cracks down on Afghan refugees amid temporary 'ceasefire'

New Delhi, October 16 (IANS). Afghan refugees in Pakistan have claimed an increase in police harassment, arrests and deportations as border fighting escalated, raising fear and insecurity among thousands of displaced families, according to reports. The incident came at a time when the international media reported on a temporary ceasefire announced by the two governments after a week of intermittent but heavy fighting at the two main border crossings between the two countries. Meanwhile, authorities in Pakistan have given expatriates in Quetta a week to vacate their homes and shops and warned of legal action against those living in the country illegally, Afghan online Khaama News reported Thursday. Deputy Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed said owners and shopkeepers who rent properties to Afghan nationals have been ordered to vacate their property within seven days. Local officials said enforcement teams will begin inspections after the deadline expires, the report further added. Pakistani media were quoted as saying that authorities have also warned property owners of fines and possible arrest if they do not follow the order. Authorities have claimed the move is part of an ongoing crackdown on undocumented Afghan refugees across the country. Residents of the city’s Hazara town said police were conducting door-to-door searches, checking shops and homes and detaining people without documents. This sudden action coupled with the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki to India and heavy firing on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border raises questions about Islamabad’s intentions. Since relations between the two neighboring countries soured, clashes at the Durand Line have been ongoing for months. Islamabad has claimed that the Taliban regime harbors elements of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targeting Pakistan. The armed militia of TTP is also engaged in an ongoing gun battle with security agencies in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Taliban leadership has consistently rejected allegations of harboring terrorist groups and asserted that Afghan soil will not be used against any country. The same is stated in the ‘Agreement to Bring Peace to Afghanistan’ with the United States signed in Doha on February 29, 2020. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that hundreds of passengers, patients and cargo trucks were stranded after the Torkham border was closed due to heavy fireworks, causing significant economic losses to businesses on both sides. It quoted Baba Murad, a cancer patient from Takhar province, who had an appointment for treatment at a special cancer hospital in Pakistan, but due to the closure of Torkham, two days had passed since his treatment. Now, stranded in Jalalabad for four days, they fear they will not get treatment in time, and say they are in danger. The Afghan news channel also spoke to passengers, traders and drivers and all urged Pakistan not to use trade as a tool of politics or war. –IANS DKP/