Amnesty International asks Pakistan to keep hosting Afghans as their expulsion may put them at risk

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Amnesty International is urging Pakistan to maintain its support for Afghan refugees by enabling them to live with dignity and be free from the fear of deportation to Afghanistan where they face persecution by the Taliban. Amnesty said in a statement Thursday that the forced return of refugees to Afghanistan could put them at a grave risk. But Pakistan says its ongoing operations against irregular immigration aren’t specific to Afghans. The appeal by Amnesty came two days after Pakistan announced a crackdown on migrants who are in the country illegally. Many of them are from Afghanistan and Pakistan has vowed to expel them starting next month.