Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: The press office of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriates Affairs issued a press release today (Sunday, January 19) stating that, according to the report of the Afghan Refugee Affairs Attaché residing in Islamabad, Pakistan, as a result of the continuous efforts of the Attaché’s Office and the cooperation of the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate residing in Pakistan, since the beginning of this year, 882 refugees holding immigration cards who had previously been detained by the police of that country have been released from Pakistani prisons.
The Ministry of Refugees Affairs said that 84 of these people are still in prison and serious efforts are underway to release them.
According to the press release, officials of the Office of the Refugee Attaché also held meetings with the Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, CCAR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; the Inspector General of Police Islamabad and officials of the Sharpe Office, and expressed their concern about the recent actions and called for an immediate end to the imprisonment of refugees in Pakistan.
It is worth noting that the Pakistani government continues to detain and harass Afghan refugees in Pakistan despite criticism from the Islamic Emirate and the United Nations.