Afghanistan, Feb. 26 -- International press freedom groups have urged Pakistan to immediately stop detaining and deporting Afghan journalists, warning they face grave risks if returned.
A coalition of international media freedom and human rights organisations has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, calling for an immediate halt to the arrest and deportation of Afghan journalists residing in Pakistan. The letter describes the recent surge in detentions as "deeply alarming."
The signatories warned that many Afghan journalists fled after threats, violence and repression by the Taliban due to their professional work. Forced return, they cautioned, could expose them to retaliatory detention, arbitrary arrest, violence or eve...