Ethnic Kazakh Families in Pakistan Face Deportation to Afghanistan

The situation in Pakistan has become increasingly dire for ethnic Kazakhs hoping to return to their historical homeland. Several families from Karachi have already been deported to Afghanistan, while those who remain live in fear and despair.

For the past five years, they have received no concrete response from Kazakhstan’s Embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Orda.kz spoke with Hameed Ullah Jorabai, a Kazakh from Karachi, about his experience.

Hameed explained that people have effectively been under house arrest for weeks. They cannot go outside, cannot work, and their children are left hungry and ill.

Kazakhs in Karachi have been locked down at home for 20 days now. Life has become extremely difficult. We haven't received any response from the Kazakh government. The children's condition is extremely grave. In the last few days, 30 people have been deported from the country. We've decided to surrender ourselves to the Pakistani police. It's better to let them deport us. Thank you to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador for their great assistance. I think our children no longer consider themselves Kazakhs, he says.

While Hameed pleaded with the embassy, several families were already sent across the border. His repeated appeals to the diplomatic mission brought no results.

Those waiting for news from Astana say they receive only empty promises.

According to Hameed, in August, they were told to leave Pakistan by the end of the month or face arrest and deportation.

I reported this to the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They promised: no one will touch you, we'll send you to Kazakhstan in 10–15 days, and we'll convince the Pakistani police not to touch you. But the police are still detaining and deporting, he says.

A few days ago, it happened again. They detained a man with four or five children and a 15-year-old teenager. I again contacted the embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the World Association of Kazakhs. I wrote letters. But I still haven't received a response. While I was waiting, they were already transferred to Afghanistan.

The children are hungry and sick. The adults can't go to work, or even go outside. And there's been no news from the 30 people who have already been deported. I don't know if they were given a phone or not, but not one of them has written since then that they're alive and well. Hameed says. 

What confuses many is that, despite assurances, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has produced no visible results.

We took DNA tests twice. The results confirmed we are Kazakh. Embassy staff came to our home and saw everything for themselves. What more could you want?  Hameed asks.

Those stranded say they only want one thing: the right to remain legally in Pakistan until they can return to their homeland.

Orda.kz has sent a formal request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and is awaiting clarification.

Original Author: Alfia Adambek