The Ministry of Refugees and Returnees reported that 800 Afghan migrants have been arrested in Pakistan on charges of participating in anti-government protests in the country.
In a statement, the ministry mentioned that in recent days security forces in Islamabad have conducted extensive operations to arrest migrants, detaining 800 Afghan migrants on charges of participating in protests by Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The statement from the Ministry of Refugees and Returnees reads: "In recent days, security forces in Islamabad have launched extensive operations in areas where migrants live, and so far, 800 Afghan migrants have been arrested and imprisoned."
Asifa Stankzi, a migrant rights activist, said: "Migrants in Pakistan should refrain from participating in political issues and public protests in this country, while Afghan authorities in Pakistan should negotiate with the government of Pakistan to support migrants facing challenges."
The Ministry of Refugees and Returnees has also called on the Pakistani government not to use Afghan migrants as political tools.
According to the ministry's statement, Afghan migrant attachés in Islamabad have shared the list of detainees with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and have demanded the immediate release of Afghan migrants.
The statement adds: "The attachés in Islamabad have shared the number of detainees in writing with the Ministry of the Interior, the Afghan Ministry of Refugee Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the UNHCR, and have called for the immediate release of Afghan migrants."
Some Pakistani officials previously claimed that a number of Afghan citizens were arrested due to their involvement in anti-government protests by supporters of Imran Khan.
Mirwais Khawreen, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: "Several migrants who had gone to the market to solve their problems were detained by the police on various pretexts."
Previously, the Pakistani Interior Minister had stated in a press conference that after December of this year, Afghan migrants without residency permits would not be allowed to live in Islamabad.