Four Afghan diplomats arrested as crackdown against refugees continues

All except one of the 28 people arrested were freed after showing documents validating their stay in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Four diplomats, among scores of Afghan nationals, were detained by policemen from scattered localities of University Town Peshawar and its surrounding areas early Thursday morning.

At least 28 Afghan nationals, including four diplomats, residing in the area were picked up and locked in the University Town Police Station as part of a crackdown against Afghan nationals illegally residing in the country.

The diplomats identified as Third Secretary Abdul Hameed Wahidi, Transport Officer Ghulam Sakhi Azeemi, Refugees Affairs Officer Dr Alozai and Noor Ahmad Haqjo were performing their assignments in the Peshawar-based Afghanistan Consulate General.

A University Town Police official confirmed the raids from this morning, saying, “Twenty-eight persons were detained and only one of them is in custody whereas the rest were freed."

Read: Unprepared for repatriation: Afghan minister for refugees seeks ‘more time’

He said 27 of the detained men proved they were innocent by producing documents, validating their stay in Pakistan. “Only one of them proved to be a suspect and now, he is under interrogation.”

Read: Blocking entry: Police directed to continue crackdown on illegal Afghan refugees

Peshawar-based Afghanistan Consul General Syed Muhammad Ibrahim Khel rushed to the consulate general at around 7:00 am after hearing of the arrests.

Expressing resentment over the arrests and terming it contrary to the Geneva Convention, which pertains to diplomatic immunity and privileges, the consul general said, “I also informed our Ambassador Janan Musazai in Islamabad [of the incident] and he is going to bring the matter in notice of the Foreign Office.”

“This is not the first incident. Two days ago, I was stopped and blocked from proceeding to my office by police,” he told The Express Tribune.

Read: Stop 'scapegoating' Afghan refugees for Taliban atrocities in Peshawar: HRW urges govt

He added that hundreds of Afghans nationals are being arrested and locked in jails as part of the government's crackdown on illegal Afghan nationals living in the country following the December 16 Peshawar school attack.

Read: Fraudulent CNIC: FIA probing NatGeo’s Afghan girl

Hundreds of Afghans are locked in different jails owing to lack of proper transportation facilities for their deportation to Afghanistan via Torkham, Khyber Agency.