Azadi Briefing

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

A growing chorus of governments, human rights groups, and NGOs have urged Pakistan to reverse its decision to forcibly deport over 1 million Afghans from the country.

Islamabad has said the estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghan refugees and migrants living in Pakistan must leave voluntarily or face deportation by November 1.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HCRP) became the latest organization to criticize the decision, saying it "amounts to forced repatriation, which is not recognized under international law."

In its October 18 statement, the HCRP said Pakistan's caretaker government lacked the legal mandate to order the mass expulsions.

Around 3.7 million Afghans live in Pakistan, according to the United Nations, including some 700,000 people who arrived after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Why It's Important: Rights groups have said the mass deportations will put Afghans at great risk of retribution in their homeland.

Tens of thousands of Afghans who have applied for foreign visas or refugee relocation in the West remain stuck in Pakistan. Many of them are journalists, activists, and former interpreters who worked with international forces.

A group of former top U.S. officials and resettlement organizations on October 18 urged Pakistan to exempt them from deportation. "To deport them back to an environment where their lives would be in jeopardy runs counter to humanitarian principles and international accords," the open letter said.

Activists also say Pakistan's announcement has fueled growing abuse against Afghans, including harassment, assault, and arbitrary detention.

"Afghanistan is reeling from economic and human rights crises," Fereshta Abbasi, an Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "Pakistani authorities should realize that this announcement has prompted the country's police to abuse refugees."

Last week, the United Nations said the "forced repatriation of Afghan nationals has the potential to result in severe human rights violations, including the separation of families and deportation of minors."

What's Next: Despite mounting criticism, Pakistan has been adamant that all "illegal" refugees and migrants must leave the country of some 240 million.

Pakistan's powerful military, which has an oversized role in the country's domestic and foreign affairs, said on October 17 that it backed the government's decision to "deport all illegal foreigners" and will "support and facilitate smooth, respectable, and safe repatriation/deportation of all illegal foreigners."

It is unclear if Islamabad will be able to deport all undocumented Afghans by the November 1 deadline, given the complex logistics involved.

Over the years, Islamabad has expelled many Afghans, who are often blamed for insecurity and unemployment, and periodically threatens those who remain with mass expulsion.

What To Keep An Eye On

The Taliban said it wants to formally join China's globe-spanning Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The Taliban Commerce Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Reuters on October 19 that the group had "requested China to allow us to be a part" of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a centerpiece of the BRI.

"China, which invests all over the world, should also invest in Afghanistan...we have everything they need, such as lithium, copper, and iron," Azizi told Reuters.

Azizi spoke a day after the end of the annual Belt and Road Forum, which Taliban representatives attended.

In May, Islamabad and Beijing announced that CPEC would be extended to Afghanistan.

Why It's Important: China has been cautious about expanding its relations with the Taliban government, which is under international sanctions and remains internationally unrecognized.

It is unclear if the Taliban's participation in the Belt and Road Forum, a key annual event in China, is a sign that Beijing is ramping up its engagement with Afghanistan.

Experts have said Beijing's primary concern in Afghanistan is the threat posed by members of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) -- an Uyghur extremist group that Beijing blames for unrest in its western province of Xinjiang.

The Taliban has been accused of sheltering Uyghur militants and done little to alleviate China's security concerns.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

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Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe for free, click here.

I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Several powerful earthquakes and aftershocks have killed at least 2,400 people and injured thousands more in western Afghanistan, with hundreds of others still missing.

Entire villages have been flattened in the past week in the western province of Herat, in the deadliest temblors to hit Afghanistan in around 25 years.

At least 17,000 people have been affected by the earthquakes on October 7 and October 11, according to the United Nations. Many have lost their homes and been forced to sleep out in the open.

Another earthquake was reported on October 13 in the neighboring province of Badghis. There were no immediate reports of casualties and damage.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said that 90 percent of those killed in the earthquakes in Herat were children and women. Many men in Zindah Jan district, the epicenter of the first and deadliest tremor, work in neighboring Iran and send remittances to their families.

Foreign aid agencies said they have sent supplies to the region, including food, medical kits, and tents. But some survivors said they have yet to receive any assistance and have been forced to fend for themselves.

"We have no shelter and no food,” Juma Gul, a resident of Zindah Jan, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. “We have nothing left."

Local charities and volunteers have accused the Taliban of preventing them from independently collecting and distributing aid to survivors of the earthquakes.

Why It's Important: The earthquakes have exacerbated the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the world’s largest.

An estimated 15 million people -- out of a population of around 40 million -- are going hungry. Another 6 million are on the verge of starvation, according to the UN.

The World Food Program (WFP) has called the recent earthquakes a “disaster on top of a disaster.” The UN body said it could only afford to support 3 million people due to a “massive shortfall” in international funding.

Aid agencies have appealed for more funds to deal with the fallout from the deadly earthquakes. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in an October 12 statement called for immediate international support.

What's Next: Many survivors, having lost their homes and possessions, fear the harsh winter months ahead.

“The nights are getting very cold,” Mohammad Aref, a resident of Zindah Jan, told Radio Azadi. “If it continues like this, we will not be able to live in a tent. We need proper shelter.”

Abdul Razzaq, a medical worker in Herat, told Radio Azadi that hunger and disease are spreading in communities affected by the earthquakes.

"People have stomach problems, pneumonia, and sore throats. Some people live in tents. Others don’t even have tents.”

What To Keep An Eye On

The Pakistani authorities have demolished two makeshift settlements housing mostly Afghan refugees and migrants outside the capital, Islamabad.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) said the “illegal settlements” located on government land were bulldozed on October 11.

The settlements were believed to be decades old and consisted of dozens of houses and farms.

Why It's Important: The demolition of the settlements comes as Islamabad intensifies its crackdown on the estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghan migrants living in the South Asian country.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry announced on October 3 that “illegal migrants” living without legal status in Pakistan had until November 1 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

The announcement has triggered “an increase in police abuse against Afghans, including harassment, assault, and arbitrary detention,” according to Human Rights Watch.

In an October 12 statement, the human rights group urged Pakistan to drop its threat to deport Afghans, saying many were “at grave risk of being returned to persecution and other abuse” in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Frud Bezhan

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe for free here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.