In a chilling revelation, Afghan nationals recently deported from Pakistan’s prisons have recounted harrowing tales of brutality, inhumane conditions, and systematic abuse. Returning through the Spin Boldak border in Kandahar province, over 500 Afghans were handed over to Afghan authorities last week, painting a grim picture of their captivity.
Tolo News, Afghanistan’s leading independent broadcaster, highlighted how Pakistan has intensified arrests, detentions, and forced deportations of Afghan refugees. The Spin Boldak crossing, once a bustling trade hub linking Pakistan’s Balochistan and Afghanistan’s Kandahar, has been largely sealed since deadly clashes in October last year, allowing only limited, agreed-upon movement.
Akhtar Mohammad Hotak, deported with his family, described his ordeal in Chaman’s detention center. ‘We got no food, no water, no tea—nothing basic. They crammed 100 people into one room,’ he told reporters, his voice heavy with trauma.
Abdul Sattar, another returnee, claimed he was jailed despite valid documents. A fellow detainee without papers was released after paying 45,000 Pakistani rupees. ‘Pay up or get deported—that’s their rule,’ he bitterly noted.
Mohammad, arrested en route to work and held in a Karachi refugee camp, recounted savage beatings. ‘They asked where I’m from. I said Afghan. That’s when the blows started. My shoulder still hurts. Being Afghan was my only crime.’
Women and families faced indignities too. One deportee spoke of disrespect toward mothers and sisters, while Dost Mohammad detailed sleepless nights of cruelty. ‘We stood while women lay on the ground. Half a roti per person. They filmed our suffering—unimaginable savagery.’
Analysts urging humanitarian groups to intervene called these practices violations of international norms. As global attention turns to Afghan refugees, the world must confront this neighborly neglect and push for accountability.