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February 02, 2026 – Afghanistan/Pakistan –
Over the past two weeks, Pakistani police have detained five Afghan journalists and media workers, highlighting deepening concerns about press freedom and the precarious situation facing exiled Afghan reporters living in Pakistan. The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) reported the arrests in a statement released on 2 February 2026, noting that those held were later released but that security threats and arbitrary detentions persist.
Among those detained were veteran reporter Samim Forough Faizi and cameraman Ataullah Rahman Shirzad, while some colleagues have not had their identities publicly disclosed due to ongoing safety fears. AMSO said these journalists were held in Islamabad as part of a broader pattern of detentions affecting Afghan refugees, many of whom fled their homeland following the fall of the former republican government in 2021 to escape censorship, political pressure and threats associated with their reporting.
The organisation said that although the five journalists were released after intervention, the incidents underscore an “insecure and unstable” environment for Afghan media practitioners in Pakistan. AMSO emphasised that visa renewals for Afghan refugees — including journalists — have been largely suspended, leaving many without legal status and vulnerable to detention because of documentation issues.
Rights advocates warn that the tightening of immigration enforcement and deportation policies has placed journalists in an especially dangerous position. Without valid visas, Afghan journalists risk not only arbitrary arrests but also the threat of forced repatriation to Afghanistan, where independent reporting can attract severe retaliation under the current ruling authorities. AMSO has urged international organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Reporters Without Borders, and European governments that have pledged resettlement support, to take practical and effective action to protect journalists residing in Pakistan.
The detentions also reflect wider anxieties among Afghan expatriate communities in Pakistan, where refugees — including media workers — live in a state of legal limbo. Many have reported being unable to access services like healthcare or housing, and fear harassment by authorities if stopped by police. AMSO said the lack of visa extensions exacerbates these vulnerabilities, urging the global community to respond to what it describes as a mounting threat to press freedom and journalist safety in the region.
The Pakistani government has not publicly addressed the specific detentions or broader allegations, leaving questions about the future security and legal protections of Afghan journalists in the country unresolved.
Reference –
Five Afghan Journalists Detained in Pakistan, Media Watchdog Says
Five Afghan journalists arrested in Islamabad over two weeks
AMSO: Five Afghan Journalists Detained in Pakistan over the Past Two Weeks
