Media rights groups call on Pakistan to stop deportations of Afghan journalists

Three international organizations supporting media and journalists—Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Journalists Support Fund—sent a letter to Pakistan's Prime Minister expressing deep concern over the arrests and "arbitrary deportations" of Afghan journalists.

The letter states that harassment, arbitrary arrests, and deportations of Afghan journalists in exile have intensified alongside rising military tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban. It notes that since Islamabad described the situation as "open war" on February 27, threats against Afghan journalists have escalated.

According to the organizations, several Afghan journalists living in Pakistan after fleeing Afghanistan were arrested and transferred to detention centers in the past week. These incidents add to more than 20 registered cases since the beginning of 2026, with at least six journalists under Reporters Without Borders support forcibly returned to Afghanistan in the last 15 days. The total number of journalists returned since January 2026 stands at nine.

The groups warn that returning journalists to Afghanistan exposes them to risks of "revenge, arbitrary detention, torture, and serious threats." They demand that Pakistan immediately halt the arrests, detentions, harassment, and forced deportations of exiled Afghan journalists.

Further demands include respecting the principle of non-refoulement, ensuring no journalist or media activist faces harassment, torture, or serious harm, and releasing all detained Afghan journalists held due to their immigration status or identity. The organizations call for a temporary protection framework for journalists awaiting resettlement in third countries, including clear guidelines to police and local authorities to end harassment, extortion, and illegal arrests across Pakistan, especially in Islamabad.

The signatories emphasize their readiness to engage constructively with Pakistan to find solutions that respect security needs while aligning with Pakistan's human rights commitments.