Pakistani authorities started conducting surprising home raids on the houses of Uyghurs residing in Rawalpindi simply earlier than a authorities order to expel all unlawful migrants who had not left the nation by the beginning of November took impact, in keeping with Uyghurs concerned within the matter.
Officers issued a warning in early October, stating that migrants and not using a authorized residence allow in Pakistan needed to depart by Nov. 1 or face deportation.
The measure impacts practically 20 Uyghur households — or about 100 people — residing in Rawalpindi, the fourth most populous metropolis in Pakistan.
Pakistani officers issued the expulsion order after dozens of individuals had been killed in two suicide bombings in late September. Although they stated that almost all such bombings this 12 months had been carried out by Afghan nationals, they determined to expel all migrants and not using a legitimate residence allow – together with 1.73 million Afghan refugees – in the event that they didn’t depart on their very own.
Many of the affected Uyghurs are descendants of people who migrated many years in the past from Xinjiang to Afghanistan and later to Pakistan. They lack Afghan or Chinese language passports and Pakistani residence permits.
The Uyghurs, who’ve been residing in a state of uncertainty in Pakistan for the previous month, stated authorities started sudden home raids at midnight on Oct. 31.
“They’re raiding houses at midnight or at 1 or 2 o’clock,” stated a Uyghur man named Turghunjan who’s married and has two daughters and a son. “The landlords are additionally telling us to go away, however we can have nowhere to sleep.”
Landlords who lease houses to the Uyghurs reported a few of them to the authorities, and on Nov. 1, a person named Amanullah was detained throughout a home search by police as a part of the trouble to analyze unlawful migrants, the Uyghurs stated. Police launched Amanullah on bail 5 hours later.
It stays unclear if authorities will deport the Uyghur households.
Stopped by police
Turghunjan, a relative of Amanullah, stated he was abruptly stopped by police on his means residence from work on the night of Oct. 31, throughout which the officers checked his identification and warned him of a possible search the next day.
“Whereas I used to be on my means residence, the police stopped me and requested me questions,” he stated. “They slapped me on the face three or 4 instances and stated they might search me after Nov. 1.”
“We’re not Afghan, and in the event that they deport us, the place will we go?” he requested.
RFA couldn’t attain police in Rawalpindi for remark.
The Uyghur households are involved that their security will probably be in danger beneath present Taliban management if Pakistani authorities deport them to Afghanistan. Additionally they concern being compelled again to China, the place Uyghurs within the far-western Xinjiang area face repression and are subjected to extreme rights abuses.
“They don’t seem to be leaving their houses, [and] the landlords are reporting them to the police,” stated Omer Khan, founding father of the Pakistan-based Omer Uyghur Belief, who has been helping the households.
Although police have threatened some Uyghurs over the previous days, they haven’t but arrested or deported anybody, he stated.
The Uyghurs sought assist from the U.N. refugee company’s workplace in Pakistan for years with out success. However this October, the company collected their names, addresses, and particulars about their households, following an early October report about their plight by Radio Free Asia.
On the time, the company additionally stated it was investigating the scenario of the Uyghur households dealing with deportation in the event that they did not adjust to the federal government order expelling all unlawful migrants.
Khan stated he obtained a reassuring name from a consultant of the U.N. refugee company, formally the U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, on Nov. 2 whereas the Uyghurs confronted harassment by police.
“We didn’t ask them to return and take us,” he stated. “We simply want a response and choice from the U.N. about refugee standing.”
Neither the U.N.’s refugee company in Geneva, Switzerland, nor its workplace in Pakistan responded to inquiries from RFA.
Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
