Taliban envoy says nearly 10,000 Afghan migrants detained in Pakistan

The Taliban’s envoy in Pakistan said on Friday that nearly 10,000 Afghan nationals are currently being held in prisons and detention centers across the country, amid a sweeping crackdown on undocumented migrants and weeks-long border closures that have left thousands stranded.

Sardar Ahmad Shakib said in a statement that the closures of key border crossings — including Torkham and Chaman — have halted all cross-border movement, transit, and trade between the two countries for nearly three weeks.

“The closure has left thousands of people, including families, stranded by the roadside in dire humanitarian conditions,” Shakib said, warning of worsening health and safety risks for those stuck near the border without access to basic necessities. “The lack of food, medicine, shelter, and clean drinking water has created immense difficulties. In recent days, at least three children and one woman have died due to these conditions,” he said.

The Taliban official described Pakistan’s ongoing campaign of detaining and deporting Afghan migrants as a “serious humanitarian concern.” In some areas, particularly in Punjab, Sialkot, Khushab, and Attock, he alleged that Afghan nationals are being released from detention only after paying bribes.

The statement called on the Pakistani government to reopen the border crossings at Torkham, Spin Boldak, Ghulam Khan, and Angoor Adda “as soon as possible” to allow Afghans to return to their country in a dignified and orderly manner. It also urged Islamabad to halt the deportations and ensure humane treatment of detainees until safe return routes are restored.

The Taliban envoy further appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international organizations to step up their support to prevent what he described as a looming humanitarian disaster.

Pakistan’s government has not responded to the Taliban’s claims about the number of detained Afghans. However, officials have repeatedly defended the ongoing deportations, citing national security and the need to regulate undocumented foreign residents.

Authorities in Islamabad have insisted that the repatriation campaign is not directed specifically at Afghan nationals, but is part of a broader policy to document and manage all foreigners residing in the country without valid papers. Officials say efforts are being made to carry out the process in an orderly and humane manner.

Over the past weeks, Pakistan has intensified deportations of Afghans, with tens of thousands crossing back into Afghanistan, many of them citing fear of arrest or harassment by police.

Afghan migrants in Islamabad reported that police raided their homes at midnight on Friday.