By Rana Malhi
ISLAMABAD
Ever since the November 11 suicide bombing at the Islamabad District Judicial Complex, police forces across Rawalpindi have launched large scale operations, checking a total of 1,375 houses, 412 shops, and 28 hotels, and verifying the documents of more than 1,709 individuals. As a result, 76 Afghans were taken into custody for staying in Pakistan without valid documents.
These raids resonate with a recent statement made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in parliament declaring that both suicide bombers involved in last week’s attacks were Afghan citizens. Since the day after the suicide bombing at the judicial complex, police have been carrying out raids and not only checking homes, but also markets, and transport hubs in an ongoing effort to trace undocumented Afghan nationals. The latest operations were carried out on the instructions of City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani.
Police also inspected four junkyards, three bus and truck stands, and several rental properties. Twenty-one (21) cases were registered against people who had failed to register their tenants. The operations spanned police stations across the district, including Kallar Syedan, Rawat, Gujar Khan, Chontra, Dhamyal, Kahuta, Jatli, Saddar Bairuni, Pirwadhai, Ratta Amral, Gunjmandi, City, Waris Khan, Banni, New Town, Sadiqabad, Saddar Wah, Naseerabad, Civil Lines, Morgah, and Cantt. Officials said the purpose was to maintain public safety and curb crime, adding that all available resources were being used to enforce the law.
Behind these numbers lies a quieter, less visible story: Afghan students and professionals caught between a tightening security climate and a failing visa system.
One Afghan woman studying in Islamabad, shared her story with Voicepk on condition of anonymity, and described how quickly her life changed. She said she had completed her coursework and was waiting only for her supervisor’s feedback on her thesis, when she found her visa extension was delayed far beyond the usual processing time. She was staying with her sister when police arrived during a neighbourhood sweep and demanded to see their documents. Both women had applied for extensions, but neither had received them.
She said that despite showing her student ID, scholarship documents, and university records, police officers refused to accept her explanation. She was taken for questioning, her phone was confiscated, and her biometrics were recorded in heavy rain outside the police facility. The officers told her she would be released only after “verification.”
“My brother took the matter to court later,” she said. “During my appearance at the G-11 court, the judge reminded police that I was not only a student but also a government scholarship holder, and if I was deported, it would damage Pakistan’s reputation.” She was released three days later.
She says her case is not unusual. Afghan students across the country report that their visa extensions have been stuck for months, sometimes more than a year. Many are enrolled in MPhil and PhD programs, attending classes and internships, but living in fear of sudden detention. Several said private agents are now offering “help” in getting visa extensions for as much as a thousand dollars.
She also said that foreign students from other countries usually receive their extensions within 20 to 30 days, while Afghan students, even those on self-finance, often wait endlessly with no approval or rejection.
Speaking to Voicepk, human rights activist Bushra Gohar said the forced deportation and inhumane treatment of Afghans, used to pressure or settle scores with the Taliban, is condemnable and reflects an irresponsible policy. She said the forced expulsion of vulnerable Afghan refugee groups, including women’s rights activists, girls, artists, and journalists, is putting their lives at serious risk.
Gohar noted that Afghans are being evicted from their homes and threatened, while many are forced to pay heavy bribes just to get their visas extended. Conditions in deportation centres are also poor. She added that the increasingly hostile environment has pushed many refugees into hiding, leaving them without access to healthcare, education, or work. A large number have been forced to sell their personal belongings simply to survive.
She contrasted this with the fact that families of Taliban militants continue to live comfortably in Pakistan and operate major businesses without interference.
Gohar said Pakistan appears to be at war with the Afghan people rather than the terrorists who have taken Afghanistan hostage. She stressed the need for an urgent review of what she described as Pakistan’s failed and self-destructive Afghan policy.
The November 11 blast killed at least 12 people and injured more than 30. The attack jolted the capital and triggered yet another wave of security operations, which many Afghan residents say are sweeping up ordinary people along with suspects.