Press groups urge Pakistan to halt Afghan journalist deportations

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 18 March 2026 |  JP Asia Desk

In a March 13 letter, three press freedom groups urged Pakistan to halt arrests, detention, and deportation of Afghan journalists in exile. They warned forced returns would endanger these journalists, noting several recent detentions and deportations.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — International press freedom organizations have urged Pakistan’s government to immediately stop the arrest, detention, and deportation of Afghan journalists living in exile, warning that such actions place them at serious risk if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

In a joint letter sent on March 13, three leading advocacy groups said Afghan journalists who fled persecution are now facing renewed threats inside Pakistan, including arbitrary detention and forced deportation. The appeal comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which the groups say have contributed to a worsening environment for exiled media workers.

Arrests and deportations raise alarm

The letter, signed by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Free Press Unlimited, documented a surge in arrests of Afghan journalists in recent weeks. It noted that multiple journalists had been detained and placed in holding centers, adding to approximately 20 cases recorded since the beginning of 2026.

The organizations also highlighted that at least six Afghan journalists had been forcibly returned to Afghanistan in the past 15 days, bringing the total number of deportations to nine since January. These individuals, they warned, face “acute and foreseeable” risks, including retaliation, arbitrary detention, and other forms of persecution under Taliban rule.

Calls for a protection framework

The groups called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate steps to halt what they described as a pattern of repression. They urged authorities to respect the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face serious threats to their safety.

Among their recommendations, the organizations called for the release of detained Afghan journalists held solely based on immigration status or nationality, and the creation of a temporary protection framework for those awaiting resettlement to third countries. They also urged clear directives to law enforcement agencies to end harassment, extortion, and unlawful detention, particularly in Islamabad.

The letter emphasized that many of the affected journalists had fled Afghanistan specifically to escape Taliban persecution, making their forced return especially dangerous.

WHY THIS MATTERS: The situation highlights growing regional pressure on displaced journalists and underscores the need for structured protection policies in host countries like Pakistan. For Pakistani media organizations, it raises important questions about journalist safety, cross-border solidarity, and the country’s international commitments to press freedom and human rights.

ATTRIBUTION: Based on a March 13, 2026, joint letter released by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Free Press Unlimited.

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.