Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned Pakistan’s harsh measures against Afghan refugees, zeroing in on the plight of journalists exiled from Taliban-dominated Afghanistan. The organization argues that border flare-ups are being weaponized to justify deportations that endanger lives.
Tensions boiled over when Pakistan labeled its conflict with Afghanistan an ‘open war’ on February 27, triggering sweeps against Afghans in Pakistan. RSF notes a spike in journalist arrests last week, amid nearly 20 since early 2026. The last 15 days forced six RSF affiliates back to Afghanistan, with nine total since January.
Personal testimonies underscore the horror. A journalist described police ‘repeatedly raiding our Afghan neighborhood since February 27.’ Additional reports decry military excesses and bribery schemes. One paid a steep 115,000 PKR ($400) post-detention to avoid expulsion, only to face homelessness as his landlord demanded he leave.
These reporters abandoned Afghanistan to dodge Taliban media strangleholds. RSF South Asia Head Celine Mercier blasted the strategy: ‘No excuse for arbitrary arrests or deportations of Taliban escapees. It condemns them to peril—violence, imprisonment, and beyond.’
Her plea to Pakistan: stop the detentions and expulsions now, safeguard the journalists, and respect non-refoulement. This forms part of a sweeping 2023 policy to repatriate Afghans, worsened by Taliban standoffs.
RSF’s outcry spotlights a humanitarian flashpoint where journalism intersects with geopolitics. As calls mount for intervention, the fate of these exiled voices hinges on whether Pakistan prioritizes human rights over retaliation.