Kabul, Jan 11 (Reporter) Citing concerns over the massive Afghan refugee crisis in Pakistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called upon Islamabad to cease its mass deportation of Afghan nationals, and said that this move blatantly violates international human rights. Qaiser Khan, Deputy Spokesperson for UNHCR in Pakistan, said: "UNHCR is ready to assist the government of Pakistan both financially and technically. We urge the government not to deport Afghans who have been refugees for many years,” according to Tolonews. Since the intensifying hostilities between the two Islamic countries along with several incidents of cross-border skirmishes, Pakistan has greatly increased its harassment of Afghans in its province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with locals reporting widespread harassment, torture, and extortion by local police. In addition, the Pakistani military and border guard have been forcefully deporting hundreds of Afghans, an issue that has stirred the ire of the Taliban regime. Statistics from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicate that over the past five days, more than 26,000 people have entered Afghanistan through shared border crossings between the two countries. However, over 25,000 people have returned to Pakistan via crossings such as Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Dand-e-Patan, Angoor Adda, and Spin Boldak. Ehsanullah Ahmadzai, a migrant rights activist, stated: "The international community, especially the United Nations and its affiliated bodies, particularly UNHCR and IOM, must collaborate with the current Afghan government on refugee matters." The increased harassment of refugees by Pakistani forces has been the subject of widespread international criticism, including by institutes such as the IOM and Amnesty International. Most recently, Pakistan has faced criticism over the issue by Germany, which has expressed deep concern over the large-scale deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, citing a sharp deterioration in their situation since 2023. Over 3,000 Afghan refugees, already accepted for relocation to Germany, currently remain in Pakistan. Germany’s foreign ministry described Pakistan’s actions as a “matter of concern” and is actively engaging with Pakistani officials to ensure the safe return of deported individuals, according to Khaama. The ministry emphasised that those undergoing asylum processes are not targeted by these deportations...////...