Dear Excellency / Dear colleagues
The Afghanistan Independent Bar Association in Exile is writing to you alongside the attached statement to express our profound concern regarding the critical situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
According to recent reports, a large number of Afghan refugees, including lawyers and human rights activists who fled Afghanistan due to severe security threats and are awaiting resettlement to third countries, have been arrested in Pakistan over the past few days and are facing the threat of forced deportation. These actions contravene humanitarian principles and Pakistan’s international obligations as a signatory to refugee rights conventions.
We are particularly alarmed about the safety and lives of Afghan lawyers who, due to their professional activities and prior roles in Afghanistan, are at significant risk. Their forced return to Afghanistan would have dire consequences for them.
We urgently call on you to:
- Encourage the Pakistani government to halt the detention and forced deportation of Afghan refugees.
- Secure the support of the United Nations and other international organizations to provide temporary residency for these individuals in Pakistan.
- Prioritize the acceleration of resettlement processes to third countries for these vulnerable individuals.
We deeply appreciate your attention to this critical matter and hope that, through your cooperation, effective steps can be taken to safeguard human rights and protect the lives of those at risk.
Sincerely,
AIBAIE Executive director
AIBAIE Executive director
Afghanistan Independent Bar Association in Exile (AIBAIE)
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Address: Rue Abbé Cuypers 3 – 1040 Etterbeek
Brussel – Belgium
Phone: + 33 614531662
