United Nations/Geneva, Apr 4 (PTI) UN experts on Friday called on Pakistan not to proceed with plans to forcibly deport Afghans and immediately stop mass internal relocations, arrests and evictions, intimidation and other pressures on them to cross the border into Afghanistan.

The UN experts urged Pakistan not to proceed with plans to forcibly remove Afghans from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, nor to deport them to Afghanistan.

Also Read | Death Due to Coconut Water: Denmark Man Dies From Brain Infection After Drinking Spoiled Coconut Left Unrefrigerated.

“We urge Pakistan to immediately stop mass internal relocations, deportations, arrests, evictions, intimidation and other pressures on Afghans to cross the border into Afghanistan, and to uphold the absolute and non-derogable principle of non-refoulement,” they said.

The experts expressed particular concern about the gendered and intersectional impact.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Gifts Sarnath Buddha to Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Brocade Silk Shawl to Queen (See Pics).

The UN experts have repeatedly spoken out against Pakistan's Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan of September 2023, which has already pressured hundreds of thousands of Afghans to uproot their lives and return to Afghanistan.

A statement issued in Geneva said that the deadline for their voluntary departure was set for March 31, but some local reports said it may have been extended until April 10. However, there is no official word about it.

The experts called on the government of Pakistan to continue its role as a neighbouring country with a long history of hosting Afghans fleeing their country.

“Millions of Afghans in Pakistan are at risk of being pushed back to Afghanistan without regard for their genuine protection concerns – including gender-based violence and the systemic dismantling of the rights of women and girls – in violation of international human rights law and refugee law, and disregarding UNHCR's non-return advisory,” the experts said.

Pakistan had set March 31 as the deadline for about 1.3 million refugees having Afghan Citizen Cards and those residing illegally to leave voluntarily, threatening mass deportations after that.

The Afghan side has urged Pakistan to show leniency and relax the deadline but Islamabad has not announced any extended deadline.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)