US court temporarily blocks deportation of detained Afghans to Pakistan — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): A US federal court has temporarily blocked the deportation of detained Afghans to Pakistan until Saturday, following concerns raised by Afghan authorities, US lawmakers and migrant rights organisations. According to the Associated Press (AP), the administration of President Donald Trump had planned to deport a number of Afghan nationals held in US immigration detention centres from Louisiana to Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern over the decision, urging the US to adopt a responsible and measured approach and respect the legitimate rights and demands of Afghan citizens. The ministry also stressed that third countries should not bargain over the fate of citizens of other countries in exchange for temporary benefits. AP reported that US District Judge Valerie Caproni in New York issued an order on Tuesday temporarily blocking the deportations until Saturday (November 7). The US government told the court that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights to deport Afghans to either Afghanistan or Pakistan before the end of the week. The ruling followed a letter signed by 66 members of the US Congress expressing concern about the fate of Afghans facing deportation. Migrant rights organisations said more than 80 detained Afghans had contacted them after receiving notices indicating possible deportation to Pakistan. They added that some of…