PkMAP demands LEAs halt harassing Afghan refugees and Pashtuns

By Our Correspondent

KARACHI: Showing their concerns over the increasing incidents of Pashtun harassment amid the ongoing crackdown on Afghan refugees in Karachi, Sindh leaders of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), on Tuesday urged the caretaker federal and provincial governments to immediately halt this inhumane, unconstitutional, and unjust practice.

Saleem Khan Tareen, the PkMAP Sindh president, along with other party leaders, convened a press conference at the Karachi Press Club to address the issue.

Tareen stressed that in accordance with Pakistan’s constitution and laws, every citizen possesses fundamental rights to live, work, engage in trade, and earn a livelihood anywhere within the country.

He voiced his dismay at the fact that, despite these constitutional guarantees, law enforcement agencies in Karachi have been detaining and mistreating Pashtuns, particularly those belonging to Pashtun districts in Balochistan, under the pretext of cracking down on Afghan refugees.

“They are experiencing harassment at Quetta bus stops and in the city’s bustling markets, where they earn their livelihoods. They are being coerced into paying bribes after facing threats of arrest under the guise of being illegal refugees,” the PkMAP leader said.

Furthermore, he expressed concern over the mass arrests of Afghan refugees who possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs) in Karachi, highlighting that they are living under the international refugee framework within the country.

PkMAP leaders also called upon democratic and humanitarian forces in Sindh to raise their voices against the ongoing injustices faced by the Pashtun community, including racial profiling.