NEW DELHI: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has expressed deep concern over Pakistan‘s decision to deport undocumented Afghan refugees, particularly the impact it will have on women and girls.
In an interview, she stated, “It is deeply concerning that Pakistan is forcing Afghan refugees based in Pakistan back into Afghanistan, and I’m deeply concerned about the women and girls”.
Despite Pakistan extending the stay of Afghan refugees with permits for another year, the country has announced its intention to remove illegal migrants. As a result, over 600,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since the order was issued last year. Human rights organizations have cautioned that some of those sent back to Afghanistan may face persecution by the Taliban, who took power in 2021 and have implemented strict Islamic laws, denying girls access to higher education and excluding women and girls from many areas of public life.
Malala, who grew up in Pakistan’s Swat valley and had to relocate to the UK after being shot at the age of 15 for resisting the Pakistan Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, emphasized the importance of protecting girls and women, given the bleak future they face in Afghanistan. She expressed hope that Pakistan would reverse its policy, stating, “I hope that Pakistan reverses its policy and that they protect girls and women especially because of the dark future that they would be witnessing in Afghanistan”.
On her birthday, recognized by the UN as Malala Day, the activist addressed the challenges faced by Afghan girls, who have been banned from education for over three years. While finding the situation shocking, she admired the resilience of Afghan activists. The Malala Fund is advocating for the UN to formally expand its definition of crimes against humanity to include “gender apartheid,” a term used by the UN to describe the situation in Afghanistan.
Malala criticised the recent talks between the UN and the Taliban in Doha, which took place without the presence of women. She called for a “principled engagement” with the Taliban and urged world leaders to realize that excluding women and girls from such discussions is doing the Taliban a favor.
She specifically called out countries with feminist foreign policies, such as Canada and France, to condemn such conversations.
Furthermore, Malala called for an urgent ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza, expressing concern over the bombing of schools in the region. She emphasized the importance of providing humanitarian support to innocent civilians and praised countries that have resumed funding for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, despite Israeli accusations of its workers being involved in Hamas’s attack against Israel on October 7.
In an interview, she stated, “It is deeply concerning that Pakistan is forcing Afghan refugees based in Pakistan back into Afghanistan, and I’m deeply concerned about the women and girls”.
Despite Pakistan extending the stay of Afghan refugees with permits for another year, the country has announced its intention to remove illegal migrants. As a result, over 600,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since the order was issued last year. Human rights organizations have cautioned that some of those sent back to Afghanistan may face persecution by the Taliban, who took power in 2021 and have implemented strict Islamic laws, denying girls access to higher education and excluding women and girls from many areas of public life.
Malala, who grew up in Pakistan’s Swat valley and had to relocate to the UK after being shot at the age of 15 for resisting the Pakistan Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, emphasized the importance of protecting girls and women, given the bleak future they face in Afghanistan. She expressed hope that Pakistan would reverse its policy, stating, “I hope that Pakistan reverses its policy and that they protect girls and women especially because of the dark future that they would be witnessing in Afghanistan”.
On her birthday, recognized by the UN as Malala Day, the activist addressed the challenges faced by Afghan girls, who have been banned from education for over three years. While finding the situation shocking, she admired the resilience of Afghan activists. The Malala Fund is advocating for the UN to formally expand its definition of crimes against humanity to include “gender apartheid,” a term used by the UN to describe the situation in Afghanistan.
Malala criticised the recent talks between the UN and the Taliban in Doha, which took place without the presence of women. She called for a “principled engagement” with the Taliban and urged world leaders to realize that excluding women and girls from such discussions is doing the Taliban a favor.
She specifically called out countries with feminist foreign policies, such as Canada and France, to condemn such conversations.
Furthermore, Malala called for an urgent ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza, expressing concern over the bombing of schools in the region. She emphasized the importance of providing humanitarian support to innocent civilians and praised countries that have resumed funding for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, despite Israeli accusations of its workers being involved in Hamas’s attack against Israel on October 7.
