UN agency urges Pakistan to halt expelling Afghans during winter

FILE PHOTO: Afghan nationals rest at a camp after returning from Pakistan at the Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, November 14, 2023. Abdul Khaliq Sediqi/International Rescue Committee (IRC)/ Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The U.N. refugee agency on Wednesday urged Pakistan to halt deportation of undocumented Afghan refugees during the harsh winter season, as police continued to search homes and expel Afghanis who had not already left.

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants.