Pakistani celebrities demonstrated against the deportation of Afghan refugees

The mass deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has garnered significant attention in recent weeks, with human rights groups and prominent individuals voicing concerns about the treatment of these displaced people.

Celebrities talk about the same thing. Iffat Umar took to her Instagram Story to share a picture of an Afghan child fleeing the country, writing, “This is also really heartbreaking.” Comedian Faiza Saleem took to her IG Story to write, “There is no end to cruelty.”

Additionally, Armeena Khan took to X to write a note regarding the same. “It would be criminal of me not to talk about the 1.7 million Afghans displaced by Pakistan, their homes bulldozed,” the star said on the website formerly known as Twitter. “This is absolutely disgusting! How can we treat them like this? I can’t talk about Gaza without talking about the plight of Afghans. This is so sad!” The star also uploaded an earlier tweet of hers which read: “Either you stand up against injustice, genocide and displacement or you don’t! If you are selective then you are no better than the oppressors. Thank you.”

Apart from that, he shared Osman Khalid Butt’s post where the actor asked the question, “Why don’t Afghan refugees show more gratitude?” He also responded with screenshots from an article highlighting the huge number of Afghan migrants living in Pakistan and how they refuse to claim citizenship despite the country offering “unreserved birthright citizenship”.

Earlier, Sanam Saeed, a prominent actor, joined the chorus of voices advocating compassion and mercy towards these refugees. With November 1, 2023, the deadline for all “illegal aliens” to leave Pakistan, she took to X to share her thoughts, urging the government to reconsider its stance.

In her post, Sanam pointed out that forcibly removing asylum seekers will not address Pakistan’s fundamental issues. He noted that this action may seem like an attempt to shift responsibility from the challenges facing the government and the country. In addition, he emphasized the importance of showing more mercy in these difficult times in the world. Her post highlighted a critical aspect of the debate surrounding the Afghan refugee crisis in Pakistan.

“Deporting refugees seeking refuge here will not eliminate our fundamental issues. We seem to deflect responsibility from the challenges facing the government or the country as a whole. In a time like this in the world right now, we need to show more mercy,” he shared on the microblogging site with a tag aimed at the government of Pakistan.

As the New York Times reported, the Pakistani government issued a deportation order, largely targeting Afghan immigrants, which resulted in the deportation of more than 70,000 undocumented Afghans in the weeks leading up to November 1. Pakistan. Landlords have evicted Afghan tenants to avoid fines and employers have fired undocumented Afghan workers. Police raided neighborhoods populated by Afghans, arresting those without proper documents.

Human rights groups have condemned Pakistan’s actions, expressing concern that some Afghans may face persecution in Afghanistan because of their past ties to Taliban rivals. Despite the criticism, Pakistani officials remained steadfast in their policy, setting up deportation centers across the country to hold and repatriate Afghan refugees.

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