Daily Evacuation Brief | October 30, 2023

Oct 30, 2023

PAKISTAN RELEASES DETAILS OF AFGHAN EXPULSION PLAN - IT IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT – More details of the planned mass deportation have leaked from officials in Islamabad. The Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, spelled out who would be targeted for deportation during the first two phases of the operation:
- Phase I - 1) Afghans without any valid travel documents 2) Afghans discovered to be using forged Pakistani identity documents.
- Phase II - 1) Afghans holding Proof of Residency Cards (POR) 2) Afghans with Afghan credentials (Taskera/Passport) 3) Afghans registered with UNHCR.
The Minister went on to confirm that all mapping preparations had been completed and that raids would be mounted to ‘clear out’ Afghans from areas designated as enclaves for ‘illegal’ refugees. The refugees will then be moved to holding centers in city centers for processing. From the centers, the Afghans will be sent by truck to one of three border crossings and will be sent back to Afghanistan. The shipments are expected to take place three to four times a week.
While the Minister has continually expressed confidence in the planning behind the operation, there are concerns that he and his staff have seriously underestimated the logistical problems with lodging, feeding, and caring for such a massive group in the holding centers. It is also not clear how the transportation plan to the border will be facilitated with a minimal number of vehicles currently allocated to the plan. Of utmost concern to many international observers is the question surrounding the Rules of Engagement (RoE). What RoE has been given to the security forces in the event that some Afghans resist the deportation program or, who may decide to jump from moving vehicles and escape into the countryside during the journey to the border? Earlier questions about the number of medical providers assigned to the holding centers and whether there will be enough drinkable water have yet to be answered. Sources in Islamabad have simply said that the plan was hastily cobbled together by a central planning group and that experts in the aforementioned fields were not allowed to provide input.
Then there are the anticipated problems on the Taliban side of the fence. We have received very little information about the state of preparations for the influx of refugees and the Afghan press has only been informed that ‘committees’ have been appointed to deal with the situation. Reports from Afghanistan over the past week seem to indicate that those who have returned willingly to the country have already stressed the meager facilities set up to receive them nearly to the breaking point.
REPORTS SAY THAT SOME AFGHAN DEPORTEES MAY HAVE PERISHED IN AN ACCIDENT IN PAKISTAN – Several social media sites have posted information about a traffic accident that may have resulted in the deaths of several Afghan refugees who were being deported. The unconfirmed reports say that Afghan men, women, and children were loaded into a shipping container on a truck and the vehicle overturned while crossing a bridge. At least six reputable social media channels have shared the information. It is unclear where the accident occurred and how many casualties may have resulted from it (if any). International observers in Pakistan continue to express concerns that the deportation operation is fraught with problems.
DISTRICT GOVERNOR IN NANGARHAR SUFFERS HEART ATTACK AND DIES – Newly appointed Governor, Mullah Syed Noor Sangri was in the midst of giving a speech to citizens of the Khogyani District when he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at approximately noon on Sunday. Sangri had previously served as the District Governor for the Ghani Khel District (also Nangarhar).

NEXT 24 HOURS

NO THREATS REPORTED

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

A French news outlet released a report that accuses Iran of providing rockets and drones to Hamas. The claims have yet to be substantiated by official sources.
Iran’s Raisi says his country may have to get involved in the Hamas-Israeli war, to keep things from widening into a larger regional conflict. Analysts say that Iran’s entry into the fight would do just that, widen the conflict significantly.
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a noted Iranian human rights lawyer was arrested shortly after attending the funeral of the young woman who died in a controversial train accident and who had been in a coma. Sotoudeh was charged with failing to wear a hijab at the funeral.

PAKISTAN

Thousands of protestors marched on Sunday to protest the situation in Gaza. The Jamaat-e-Islami party, the nation’s largest religious/political party sponsored the rallies. Police had intervened on Saturday night and tore down the party’s encampments which forced the organizers to change their march plans for Sunday.
2 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a firefight with terrorists in Balochistan on Sunday. The clashes took place in the Khoro area and officials did not comment on any casualties the terrorists may have sustained.
Economists and union representatives are predicting a spike in inflation as temporary reprieves for fuel prices will expire on 1 November and prices are expected to jump by nearly 200%.

SPECIAL “THE DEPORTATION PLAN”

Caretaker Interior Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti (left) addressing a press conference in Quetta on September 30, 2023. — APP

Expulsion of illegal foreigners to be carried out in phases: security czar

By The International News

Expressing his views on the issue of repatriation of illegal foreigners in Geo News' programme "Naya Pakistan", the security czar revealed that the first phase will include the expulsion of illegal aliens — people with no travel documents and those who misrepresented themselves as Pakistani citizens via forged documentation — followed by those with proof of registration (POR), Afghan citizenship and registered refugees.

AFGHAN NEWS

Taliban expands recruitment of youth at jihadi madrassas, sources report

By Sharif Amiry - AMU TV

The Taliban is “actively enrolling” young individuals into jihadi madrassas in at least 10 different provinces, as revealed by local…

Afghan Economy Faces Continued Uncertainty: World Bank

By Mujeeb Rahman Awrang Stanikzai - TOLO News

The World Bank in its latest “Afghan Development Update,” said that the Afghan economy continues to contract and face uncertainty and fragility after the…

Activists urge UN’s Sinirlioglu to address ‘systematic discrimination’ against women in Afghanistan

By AMU TV

A number of women’s rights activists on Sunday called upon Feridun Sinirlioglu, the UN’s Special Coordinator on Afghanistan, to emphasize the plight of women in…

REGIONAL NEWS

Afghan refugees complain of mistreatment by Pakistani police

By Ariana News

Local officials in Kandahar province said Sunday that the number of Afghan refugees returning from Spin Boldak crossing has…

Uzbekistan delegation, led by deputy prime minister, visits Kabul

By AMU TV

According to a statement by the Taliban-run Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the primary objective of this visit is to “enhance bilateral trade relations, address transit issues…