In yet another display of Pakistan’s systematic persecution of Afghan refugees, authorities in Pak-occupied-Balochistan have barred thousands of Afghan nationals from working in coal mines across multiple districts, including Dukki, Chamalang, Harnai, Quetta, and Mach. This ruthless crackdown is a cruel extension of Pakistan’s notorious “strategic depth” policy, which has destabilized Afghanistan for decades.
According to officials from the Department of Minerals, around 10,000 to 15,000 Afghan laborers were engaged in coal mining in these areas. Now, district authorities have ordered mine owners to expel them immediately and to refrain from hiring Afghan workers in the future. This draconian move threatens to cripple the region’s coal industry, as nearly half of its workforce comprises Afghan miners. With mass layoffs imminent, mine closures loom large, deepening economic uncertainty for thousands.
This crackdown lays bare the exploitative nature of the Punjabi Pakistan Army and its ruling elite, who have long profited from human misery. For decades, Pakistan has meddled in Afghan politics, orchestrated coups in Kabul, and fueled wars that have rendered countless Afghans homeless and vulnerable. The very refugees displaced by Pakistan’s military adventurism are now being arrested, extorted, and persecuted on Pakistani soil. Those who flee war find no respite—only further humiliation and harassment at the hands of the same regime responsible for their displacement.
The world must wake up to the Paki establishment’s calculated war crimes. The displacement of millions serves its military-industrial complex, ensuring a steady flow of bribes, forced labor, and profits. Afghan refugees remain the most tragic victims of this cycle—uprooted by Pakistan’s interference and then treated as criminals when they seek safety across the border. It is time the international community holds Pakistan accountable for its endless exploitation of vulnerable communities.