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KARACHI, Pakistan For these four young people, Pakistan is home. They were born and raised there. They have big plans: to study, to open their own businesses, to succeed.

But Pakistan says their home is elsewhere. Each of the four a lab technician, a web developer, a jewelry maker, a former welder with dreams of travel was born to parents from Afghanistan who fled to Pakistan because of war and persecution.

The children have been in legal limbo all their lives, at risk of deportation to a strife-torn country they have never seen.

Some live in Al-Asif Square, a neighborhood of low-slung, barrackslike apartment buildings on the outskirts of the port city of Karachi, where the refugee population is often blamed for high crime rates and gang violence. With their vulnerable legal status, opportunity is hard to come by.

Pakistan is home to an estimated hundreds of thousands of children of Afghan refugees. Without official recognition or citizenship, they cannot attend most schools or universities, get many jobs or buy property or cars.

Muhammad Saleem, 24, a lab technician, does not have documentation, so no medical school will admit him.

His lack of documents also means he earns about one-quarter of the market rate for lab technicians, or $85 a month.

Unfortunately, I could not fulfill the dream of my parents of becoming a doctor, he said.

While Pakistani law grants citizenship to those born there, the government has long refused to recognize the claims of children of Afghans amid public pressure to stem the tide of refugees from Afghanistan. Recently, Prime Minister Imran Khan introduced an alien registration card system that would allow Afghans and their locally born children to start businesses but it would still deny them full legal rights, human rights groups warn.

The problem may soon get much bigger.

Politicians and the public alike worry that more refugees will cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan after the Talibans takeover of the country in August, further crowding cities and camps for displaced people. Already, Pakistan officially hosts 1.4 million refugees, according to the United Nations, though experts say hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants live there, too.

Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule

With the departure of the U.S. military on Aug. 30, Afghanistan quickly fell back under control of the Taliban. Across the country, there is widespread anxiety about the future.

The wave of new refugees has been smaller than expected, in part because of Pakistans tighter border controls. However, Islamabad expects an influx once the border is opened as economic conditions and stability worsen in Afghanistan.

Pakistans stateless young people work and live on the edges of society.

Madad Ali, a 23-year-old web developer, has been working through online platforms such as Upwork that connect freelancers with employers. But jobs that pay electronically require identity cards and bank accounts, so he has found under-the-table methods.

Mr. Ali is Hazara, an ethnic group that has been persecuted in Afghanistan and in parts of Pakistan. His parents fled in 1995, a year before the Taliban occupied roughly three-quarters of the country and enforced a harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

While working on a computer in his modest apartment, Mr. Ali says that his lack of credentials depresses him. To overcome depression, he said, I often go to the beach.

Tens of thousands of children do not go to school because they have no government-issued birth certificates, and most either study in religious seminaries to memorize the Quran or collect recyclable trash for scrap dealers in the major markets.

In Al-Asif Square, most of the residents are refugees, and amid the apartments is a school for the refugees children that offers classes up to grade 12. It is registered with the Afghan Ministry of Education, but the schools certification is not recognized by Pakistan.

Sameera Wahidi, 22, completed school there but could advance no further because she does not have the proper documents.

A person who wants to keep studying has to go to Afghanistan, said Ms. Wahidi, whose parents moved from Afghanistans Takhar Province during the 1980s. But I was born in Pakistan, and I have never seen Afghanistan in my life.

She added, For our parents, Afghanistan could be their homeland, but for me, Pakistan is my country.

She learned how to make earrings, necklaces and bangles at a United Nations center for Afghan refugees. She made a modest living until the coronavirus pandemic.

Now the buyers have stopped purchasing our work, Ms. Wahidi said, but we are hopeful it will be resumed soon.

When Mr. Khan, the prime minister, pledged to grant citizenship to the children of refugees after he assumed office in 2018, Samiullah, a child of Afghan refugees, was among thousands including Rohingya and Bengalis long stranded in Pakistan by decades of unrest who took part in a rally to thank Mr. Khan.

But political backlash forced Mr. Khan to back down from that commitment. Political parties in Pakistan said that the Afghan refugees upset the ethnic balance in parts of the country.

This year, Samiullah, 23, had to quit his $7-a-day job as a welder at a workshop in Al-Asif Square because the work was affecting his eyes.

Now I am searching for jobs, but everyone has been asking me to bring a Pakistani national identity card, said Samiullah, who like many Afghans uses only one name.

Samiullah once wanted to open his own metal shop. Like many young people, his mind wanders, and he dreams of seeing the United States or Australia. But he has no passport.

It is not my fault that I was born and raised in Pakistan, and it seems that Ill die here, too, he said, adding, But I firmly believe that the government, one day, will give us citizenship cards.

Progress has come in small steps. In 2019, Mr. Khan allowed refugees holding proof of registration cards to open bank accounts.

Still, the refugees of Al-Asif Square live in a precarious state. Their nonlegal status makes them vulnerable to exploitation. Law enforcement officials, they say, frequently target them.

I avoid going outside the neighborhood because of fear of the police, said Samiullah. They frisk him and ask to see his identity card, he said, and then let him go after taking a bribe of about $3.

Read more from the original source:
Born and Raised in Pakistan, but Living in Legal Limbo - The New York Times

A spokesperson of the Taliban Inamullah Samangani reacted to the recent concerns of Russias President Vladimir Putin and added that there is no threat from Afghanistans borders to regional countries.

Inamullah Samangani in a voice clip on Monday, December 28 said that there is latterly neither potential nor a de facto threat from Afghanistans border to any other country.

During his meeting with Tajikistans President Emomali Rahman, Vladimir Putin said that the security situation on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border is concerning.

Putin mentioned his countrys military equipment given to Tajikistans military forces to get stronger and address potential threats from other countries.

As we have assured security inside Afghanistan, the borders of Afghanistan are likewise well protected and are under surveillance. Rumors over Potential threats from our borders are baseless. Said Samangani.

Vladimir Putins concerns over insecurity on Afghanistans borders with Central Asian countries are not new, earlier; he had expressed some concerns and had discussed the issue with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistans heads of state.

Russia has also conducted military drills with Tajikistans forces on the border with Afghanistan.

See the rest here:
No threat from Afghanistan's borders to region: Taliban reacted to Putin's concerns - The Khaama Press News Agency

Former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country in the wake of the Talibans takeover of Kabul in August 2021, is runner-up for the annual Person of the Year award for Corruption in 2021. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko tops the list of the corrupt person of the year prepared by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in recognition of all he has done to propagate organised criminal activity and corruption, a statement said.

Ghani certainly deserves an award, too. He was breathtaking in both corruption and gross incompetence. He deserted his people, leaving them to misery and death so he could live among the corrupt former state officials in the moral cesspool that is the UAE, said OCCRP.

Ghani attracted negative criticism from across the world after he fled from Afghanistan amidst an imminent takeover by the Taliban. He issued his first message after fleeing the country on 15thAugust after the Talibancapturedthe capital Kabul. In a video message issued on Facebook, Ghani alleged that he was forced to leave Afghanistan as the Taliban was planning to kill him, and denied reports of taking huge amounts of money with him.

The former Afghanistan President said that he wanted to transfer power to the Taliban peacefully. But he was evicted against his will, as he didnt want to hang as the president of Afghanistan. He said that he was forced to leave Kabul as the Taliban was looking for him. He said that he decided to not cause bloodshed in the capital, and thats why fled the country to avoid a huge disaster.

Drew Sullivan, one of the co-founders of OCCRP and who appeared on the panel as a judge, said that it has been a banner year for corruption, but Lukashenko stood apart from the crowd.

Besides Ghani and Lukashenko, other finalists included Syrian dictator Bashar Hafez al-Assad, Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

As per the OCCRP statement, Assad led Syria into a catastrophic civil war and robbed the country of millions of dollars while clinging to power.

Erdogan, on the other hand, was presiding over a corrupt government that laundered Chinese funds for Iranian oil using state-owned banks, the group said.

Kurz, the leader of the Austrian Peoples Party(OVP), along with nine other politicians and media personalities, was embroiled in a case, with allegations of embezzlement and graft.

OCCRP said Lukashenko consolidated unlimited power at home and turned a blind eye to international criticism. Instead, he precipitated the refugee crisis in response to EU sanctions against his country, the statement said. The group further added that Lukashenko was indifferent to the sufferings of his own citizens and desperate migrants, including children, shivering, hungry and barred from settling in Belarus.

Originally posted here:
Former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani runner up in corrupt person of the year list topped by Belarus Lukashenko - OpIndia

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) Evacuees from Afghanistan began to arrive in November and have continued throughout the year.

"They are trying to get everyone off the bases out by middle of January," ConniePhillips, thePresident and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, said.

So far at least 88 people have arrived in Tucson. The majority of them are younger adults, according to Phillips.

As more evacuees arrive, the Tucson community has stepped up to help.

"The community has been so wonderful," Phillips said. "They have just shown up. You know they have donated goods and items. They've given kitchen items, furnishing, clothing, they've given so much."

They are also continuing to help each person with jobs.

"It really is about finding the best fit," Phillips said. "We work with the evacuee to find out what kind of work they were doing what skills do they have."

If you want to help the new members of the community, click here.

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Evacuees from Afghanistan continue to arrive in Tucson - KGUN

As 2021 draws to a close, there is little doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate and change our lives in unimaginable ways. The pandemic which is far from over is perhaps one of the few events that have adversely affected the entire world. So far it has caused a staggering 5,324,969 deaths globally and has left millions without jobs and livelihoods. The new Omicron variant once again, at the year's end is overwhelming countries. It's threatening the fragile new normal we were hoping for. And while the Pandemic rages and continues to leave death and devastation in its trail,here's a look at the biggest international news events that have irrevocably changed the world's history.

The most defining images of the desperation ofpeople were witnessed in Afghanistan. Lakhs thronging the Kabul airport and the country's land borders,hanging on to any vestige of hope that they could escape the return of the brutal Taliban. After 20 years the US' chaotic and violent pullout left the country in a state of complete disarray. The Taliban, the poster boys of right-wing Islamist terror, were quick to take control and return the country to a terrifying archaic rule. Today, Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, with millions staring at starvation and the country being set back decades in terms of its economy. Female education and inclusivity have been ignored and the world has also failed Afghanistan's women.

The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a distinct anti-China sentiment across the world. China's lack of transparency, geo-political tensions, unwanted aggression on its neighbours and in the South China sea have led to a re-aligning of world powers. The United States of America whose previous Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe called China the greatest threat to America" has been at the forefront of an anti-China bloc. The AUKUS, formed in September which includes Australia, the United Kingdom and the US is seen as the most significant security arrangement between the three nations since World War Two. It's also seen as an attempt by world powers to draw a line in the sand and begin countering China's aggressive moves. Another regional alliance that's been formed is the QUAD. Initially put together as a loose grouping between India, Japan, Australia, and the US, it has in the past year taken a more formal structure. While it has a broad range of issues on its agenda, all member nations are wary of China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

2021 has been a remarkable year for space exploration. We witnessed over 100 space missions this year and most of them were highly successful. The pinnacle of space exploration was perhaps the three missions to Mars. The UAE, US and China all managed to land their space crafts on the red planet. NASAs Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity helicopter have been exploring the Red Planet since touching down in February. 2021 was also the year when the world's richest took holidays in space,even if they were brief. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, his brother and two others travelled in a capsule with the biggest windows flown in space. The views of the Earth were stunning and when the capsule touched down after the 10-minute, 10-second flight, Jeff Bezos exclaimed: "Best day ever!" Billionaire Sir Richard Branson also successfully reached the edge of space onboard his Virgin Galactic rocket plane. Branson and his team of astronauts flew high above New Mexico in the US in the vehicle that his company had been developing for 17 years. The trip he said was the "experience of a lifetime".

Who would have ever imagined that the world's oldest democracy would witness scenes of absolute chaos and mayhem as hundreds of former US President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. Lawmakers were forced to take shelter, the building was put into lockdown, the form US Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated and five people died. All this on the day when a joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Images of the insurrection shocked horrified and anguished Americans. And the deep political divisions that mark US politics stood exposed to the world. President-elect Joe Biden described the violence as "one of the darkest days in the history of our nation".

An intense heatwave in the Pacific Northwest lead to record temperatures in the US and Canada leaving over 400 people dead.Images of a submerged Germany and Belgium after flash floods left destruction and death in their wake,thousands displaced and hundreds dead in China's Henan after torrential rains swept through the province, intense landslides in Uttarakhand and flooding in parts of South India are all testaments to the rapid change in world's climate. Yet is enough being done to halt climate change? It was with that in mind that the UN summit COP 26 met in Glasgow this year. While the summit delivered on its primary goal of keeping alive the Paris Agreements aim to limit global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, it failed to make significant progress on climate finance. Not just that a lot will depend on how countries individually act to bring down emissions and deliver on climate goals.

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Global events of 2021: US withdrawal from Afghanistan to COP 26; here's what went down - Republic World