WASHINGTON: The US State Department has informed Congress of its commitment to enhancing its capacity to process applications of Afghan refugees stranded in Pakistan.

This initiative, which be­­g­an in July 2023 on a limi­ted scale, aims to address the plight of Afghan refug­e­­es seeking asylum in Pakistan.

“The State Department continues to work with Pakistan to expand that processing capacity,” said a statement sent to Congress earlier this week.

Tens of thousands of Afghans entered Pakistan after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban two years ago, seeking relocation to the US and to other destinations in the West.

The United States has so far considered 25,351 Afg­han nationals for pot­e­ntial resettlement, with 4,752 individuals already finding new homes in the country.

In its statement to Con­gress, the State Depart­m­e­­nt also expressed conce­rns about broader human rig­hts landscape in the region.

The report claimed that the Saudi, Iran and Pakis­tan governments have been utilising blasphemy and defamation of religion laws to curtail religious freedom, restrict the rights of religious minorities, and limit freedom of expression. This has led to the imprisonment of individuals accused under these stringent laws, sparking international concern, it added.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024