New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Afghan refugees in Pakistan have claimed rising police harassment, arrests, and evictions since the escalation in fighting at the border, deepening fear and uncertainty among thousands of displaced families, according to reports.

This came at a time when the international media was reporting a temporary cease-fire, announced by both governments, after a week of intermittent but intense fighting at the two main border crossings between the two nations.

In Pakistan, meanwhile, authorities have given the migrants one week to vacate their homes and shops in Quetta, warning of legal action against those staying in the country illegally, according to Afghan online Khaama News on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner, Mansoor Ahmed, said homeowners and shopkeepers renting properties to Afghan nationals have been ordered to clear them within seven days.

Local officials said enforcement teams will begin inspections after the deadline expires, the report added. It quoted the Pakistani media that authorities have also warned property owners of fines and potential arrest if they fail to comply with the order.

The move, claimed officials, is part of an ongoing crackdown on undocumented Afghan refugees across the country.

Videos circulating on social media, reportedly from Quetta, showed police personnel using trucks to round up Afghan migrants.

Residents in the city’s Hazara Town said police were conducting door-to-door searches, checking shops and homes, and detaining people without documentation.

The sudden crackdown – coinciding with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s India visit, and the heavy gunfire on the Afghan-Pakistan border – is being questioned over Islamabad’s intent.

Skirmishes had been going on at the Durand Line for months, since relations soured between the two neighbours.

Islamabad has been claiming that the Taliban regime was providing shelter to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) elements who were targeting Pakistan.

TTP’s armed militia is also involved in an ongoing firefight with security agencies in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well.

The Taliban leadership has consistently rejected the allegation of harbouring terror groups, claiming that Afghan territory will not be used against any country. This is also stated in its ‘Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan’ with the United States, signed in Doha, on February 29, 2020.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that following the closure of the Torkham border due to heavy exchange of fire, hundreds of passengers, patients, and cargo trucks are stuck, leading to significant financial losses to businesses on both sides.

It quoted cancer patient Baba Murad of Takhar province, having a treatment appointment at a specialised cancer hospital in Pakistan, but with Torkham closed, two days of his treatment window have already passed.

Now, stuck in Jalalabad for four days, he fears he will not be able to avail of treatment on time, pleading that his life is at risk. The Afghan news channel also spoke to passengers, merchants, and drivers, all asking Pakistan not to use trade as a tool of politics or war.

–IANS

jb/vd