Cricket-Afghan refugees cheer Champions Trophy debut in Pakistan, but deportation fears weigh

CRICKET-CHAMPIONSTROPHY/AFGHANISTAN-REFUGEES (PIX, TV):Cricket-Afghan refugees cheer Champions Trophy debut in Pakistan, but deportation fears weigh

By Saad Sayeed

Cricket-Afghan refugees cheer Champions Trophy debut in Pakistan, but deportation fears weigh

Feb 21 - Afghan refugees seeking resettlement in Pakistan gathered at a cafe in the capital Islamabad to watch their national cricket team play in the elite Champions Trophy for the first time on Friday. But the discussion soon turned to their fears of deportation.

Pakistan, hosts of the Champions Trophy featuring cricket's top eight one-day sides including Afghanistan, is in the middle of a huge drive to repatriate the roughly 4 million Afghans who have crossed the border during 40 years of armed conflict at home, including since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

While Afghan fans outside the ground in Karachi were in a festive mood ahead of their side's opener against South Africa, those in Islamabad spoke of their fear after Pakistan began deporting Afghans from the capital and its twin garrison city of Rawalpindi in January. "People who came after 2021 only came for safety, because their lives were in danger," said Rahil Talash, a human rights defender who fled to Pakistan three years ago. She said conditions had worsened in the past month since the local deportations began.

"Everyone is afraid," she said. Pakistan's foreign office denies harassing Afghan refugees and says the removals are part of a broader 2023 campaign.

But Marzia Delawar, 22, said she too lived in fear.

"When we wake up we are afraid that the police will show up... People are afraid to leave their house". Parwin Askari, 26, who has represented Afghanistan in judo internationally despite the Taliban effectively banning women's sport, was keen to cheer on her side despite being separated from her family in Kabul for almost a year as she seeks resettlement.

"I hope Afghanistan wins," she said, adding that her favourite player is spinner Rashid Khan.

"My whole family is watching the cricket... It's very difficult for them to leave."

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