PHC stops arrest, deportation of two Afghan journalists, their families
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has stopped law enforcement agencies from arresting or deporting two Afghan journalists and their families awaiting resettlement in a third country and referred their cases to the federal government for granting them permission of temporary stay or asylum here. A bench consisting of Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel disposed of two almost…
Peshawar High Court has halted the arrest and deportation of two Afghan journalists and their families who are awaiting resettlement in another country. A bench of Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Kamran Hayat Miankhel decided the cases on the principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits the return of individuals to situations where they may face persecution or cruel and inhuman treatment.
The journalists, Syed Munir Ahmad Hadaf and Syed Enamullah Salehi, fear such treatment if deported to Afghanistan. Their cases were already pending for third country resettlement, with the French Embassy already endorsing their situation. The court directed the federal government to decide within 60 days whether the petitioners meet the criteria for asylum, temporary stay or temporary stay.
If the federal government finds the necessary conditions present, they must grant asylum, sojourn or temporary stay to the petitioners for a period determined by the government. This decision will be completed within two months. During this time, law enforcement agencies are barred from arresting or deporting the petitioners.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
