KARACHI: Terming the country’s ‘Illegal Foreigners Repat­riation Plan’ — now in its third and final phase — “unlawful… given it violates… the right to non-refoulement”, Amnesty International has called on Pakistan to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees.

In an open letter to PM Shehbaz Sharif, Agnes Callamard — secretary general of the global rights watchdog — noted that Pakistan has been a generous host to refugees for over 40 years, but noted that its policy changed significantly once the repatriation plan was announced in Sept 2023.

“Since then, Amnesty Inte­rnational has documented a complete lack of transparency, due process and accountability in the unlawful arrests, detentions and deportations of Afghan nationals in Pakistan,” it said.

It also called on the country to create well-resourced and accessible pathways for the registration of refugees, taking proactive measures to expedite the registration of refugees particularly at risk, including but not limited to women and girls, journalists, and those belonging to minority and ethnic communities, and those facing barriers due to gender, disability, language, among others.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2026