Three International Press Freedom Organizations urge Pakistan to halt deportations of Afghan journalists

Three International Press Freedom Organizations have urged Pakistan to stop the arrest and deportation of Afghan journalists living in exile, warning that forced returns could put them at serious risk.

In a letter to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed what they described as “grave concern” over the detention and deportation of Afghan journalists.

The organizations said harassment, arbitrary arrests and deportations of Afghan journalists in Pakistan have increased in recent weeks, coinciding with rising military tensions between Pakistan and Taliban.

According to the organizations, several Afghan journalists who fled Afghanistan and were living in Pakistan have been detained and transferred to holding centers over the past week.

They said the arrests add to more than 20 documented cases since the beginning of 2026, while at least six journalists supported by RSF were forcibly returned to Afghanistan in the past 15 days.

The letter said the total number of Afghan journalists deported from Pakistan since January has reached nine.

The organizations warned that returning journalists to Afghanistan exposes them to risks including retaliation, arbitrary detention, torture and other serious threats.

They called on Pakistan’s government to immediately stop the arrest, detention, harassment and forced deportation of Afghan journalists living in exile.

These major organisations also urged Pakistan to respect the principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face serious danger.

In addition, they called for the release of Afghan journalists detained because of their immigration status or identity and asked Pakistan to establish a temporary protection framework for journalists awaiting resettlement in third countries.

Such measures, they said, should include clear instructions to police and local authorities to end harassment, extortion and arbitrary detention of Afghan journalists, particularly in the Islamabad region.

The organizations said they are ready to work with Pakistani authorities to find solutions that address security concerns while respecting Pakistan’s human rights obligations.

Signatories
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)