31.12.2003 - Source: Minorities at Risk

University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Risk Assessment ("Assessment for Pashtuns in Afghanistan") [#30492],  [ID 1565]

"As long as the Taliban stay in power, it is unlikely that Pashtuns will rebel in the near future. However, many Pashtuns do not share the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Shari`a, in particular the treatment of women. If reports indicating that power is devolving to tribal heads are accurate, the Taliban may face major challenges from these alternate power sources in the next decade. Furthermore, the Taliban continues to be unsuccessful in subduing the northern 10 percent of the country and wresting it from the hands of the Northern Alliance. Even should this last remaining stronghold fall under Taliban control, Tajiks and Uzbeks would likely revert to guerrilla warfare, based from remote and hard-to-access mountain regions.
Although attempts have been made to bring the different warring factions of Afghanistan to the table, peace talks have faltered. The Taliban has proven to be virtually impervious to international pressures for a political solution, a not-surprising position given their dominance on the ground in Afghanistan. Additionally, the Taliban rejects the primary demands of the Tajik-led Northern Alliance, which focus on creating a central government with political representation for all of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups in a more federalized structure, with provincial areas having more control over their own affairs. The Taliban rejects this formula, instead focusing on the incorporation of the political opposition (without regard to ethnic formulas) into a Taliban-led government structure that is more highly centralized.
The Taliban has provided a degree of stability in the areas under its control and a degree of security to the Pashtuns who live in those areas. However, Pashtuns in border regions, and particularly in Kabul, are subject to rocket attacks from the opposition. Populations in border regions which frequently change hands live particularly unstable lives. However, the Pashtuns would become most vulnerable should the Taliban lose power. Should the Northern Alliance become the functioning government, the Pashtun can expect to be held responsible for the actions of the Taliban. Since Hekmatyr quit the Northern Alliance, it has been without a major Pashtun party. Should the Northern Alliance form the next government, it will probably marginalize the Pashtuns politically, although they are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan."

Document(s): Open document

03.12.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

IDPs unwilling to return to north unless security enhances and impunity for commanders ends ("Report of the Secretary General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (A/58/616)") [#18064],  [ID 1133]

"[...] 40. The persecution and forced displacement of minority groups in the north and west, particularly of Pashtuns, led to the establishment in October 2002 of the Return Commission for the North. A recent mission to Faryab, Samangan, Balkh, Jowzjan and Sar-i-Pul provinces by the Return Commission Working Group determined that conditions amenable to the return of refugees and internally displaced persons generally exist in the region, though in several districts adequate security conditions are still lacking. Understandably, many internally displaced persons in the south indicated their unwillingness to return to their areas of origin in the north unless security can be guaranteed, impunity for commanders ended and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration implemented. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

06.10.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Pashtuns are reported to have been subjected to numerous abuses, including sexual violence, killings, extortion and looting ("Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on violence against women, its causes ad consequences, on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan (A/58/421)") [#17532],  [ID 1537]

"Furthermore, since the overthrow of the Taliban, the unresolved and long-standing inter-ethnic tensions and conflicts are leading to new population movements and displacements, particularly of Pashtuns from the north, which increases the possibilities of incidents of conflict and abuse. Pashtuns are reported to have been subjected to numerous abuses, including sexual violence, killings, extortion and looting."

Document(s): Open document

29.07.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Prosecution of Pashtuns by local commanders in regions where they are a minority (North and West) ("UNHCR-Stellungnahme zur Frage der Flüchtlingseigenschaft afghanischer Asylsuchender (aktualisierte Zusammenstellung)") [#14757],  [ID 1538]

"Aus einigen Gebieten Afghanistans liegen Berichte über die Verfolgung ethnischer Minderheiten durch örtliche Befehlshaber in Form von Erpressung, Misshandlung, Inhaftierung und sogar Mord und Vergewaltigung vor. Solche Berichte sind bestätigt für der paschtunischen Volksgruppe angehörende Afghanen in Gebieten im Norden und Westen Afghanistans, in denen sie die Minderheit bilden.
Die Paschtunen bilden insgesamt die größte Volksgruppe in Afghanistan, stellen aber eine Minderheit im Norden dar, wo die Volksgruppen der Tadschiken, Usbeken und insbesondere der Hasara in der Mehrheit sind und die Macht ausüben. Dass Paschtunen überhaupt im Norden leben, ist im Wesentlichen eine Folge einer vorsätzlichen Siedlungspolitik im letzten Jahrhundert mit dem Ziel, die Vollzugsgewalt der damaligen paschtunisch dominierten Regierung zu stärken. Die Paschtunen wurden erfolgreiche Landbesitzer und begründeten Handels- und Geschäftsinteressen in Städten wie Kundus und Baghlan. Sie erlangten auch eine führende Rolle als Kreditgeber und erwarben bei Überschuldung der Kreditnehmer weiteren Grund und Boden oder ließen ihn beschlagnahmen. Seit dem Sturz der Taliban werden Berichte bekannt, nach denen paschtunische Dorfbewohner oder andere Zivilisten von Seiten örtlicher Kriegsherren und anderer Angehöriger der den Norden kontrollierenden Gruppen (Dschombesch-i- Melli-i-Islami, Hisb-i-Wahdat und Dschamiat-i-Islami) Schikane, Einschüchterung und diskriminierender Behandlung sowie Gewaltakten, Banditentum und Verfolgung ausgesetzt sind. Dies hat viele Paschtunen veranlasst, zu fliehen.
Gujur aus Takhar und Baghlan, Ismaili aus Baghlan, Sayeedi und Hazara aus dem Kamard-Bezirk von Bamian sind gegebenenfalls auch ethnisch und politisch motivierter Verfolgung ausgesetzt. Diese Aufzählung ist nicht abschließend, sondern zeigt Beispiele für besondere Risikogruppen auf."

Document(s): Open document

27.04.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

In the north Pashtuns are in the minority ("Many civilians among 64 killed in Afghan fighting (Reuters)") [#12246],  [ID 1135]

"Pashtuns are in the minority in the north and have suffered various abuses at the hands of local commanders seeking revenge against the mainly Pashtun Taliban regime.

Most of the Pastuns in Badghis are poor nomadic herders.

Singh called the violations a serious threat to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, which the government of Hamid Karzai is struggling to unify after 23 years of foreign interference and civil war."

Document(s): Open document

15.04.2003 - Source: European Council on Refugees and Exiles

ECRE includes Pashtuns in groups which may be in need of international protection ("Guidelines for the Treatment of Afghan Asylum Seekers & Refugees in Europe") [#12087],  [ID 1540]

"European States should give all Afghan asylum claimants the opportunity to lodge an application and have it processed with minimum delay. ECRE considers that certain categories of individuals amongst the Afghan population may have ongoing protection needs that remain unchanged despite recent political developments in Afghanistan. These groups include:

Pashtuns, who have suffered violence and harassment in the northern provinces because of their perceived allegiance to the Taliban. Some 60,000 Pashtuns are said to be present in the southern provinces refusing to move back for fear of persecution."

Document(s): Open document

07.03.2003 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

DIS: However, the general security situation of Pashtuns has improved, there continue to be reports about injustices, especially in the northern areas ("The Political, Security and Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan: Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan; 22 September - 5 October 2002") [#11326],  [ID 1541]

"EU's special representative said that ethnic persecution of Pashtuns in Afghanistan should be seen in the light of their suspected affiliation with the Taliban and al-Qaida. The situation may have improved now, and the violations being reported are no longer as many or as brutal as in November 2001. The situation still gives cause for concern, and there continue to be reports about injustices, especially in the northern areas, and according to the source these reports require closer investigation and follow-up. [...]
The senior human rights advisor for UNAMA said that the ethnic persecution of Pashtuns in areas where they are in a minority is politically based, as Pashtuns are being excluded from participating in the political process. According to the source, serious injustices against Pashtuns are continually being committed in pockets in the northern and western areas of Afghanistan, where they are in a minority, and the issue of what will happen to the Pashtuns who have fled these areas and are staying in the IDP-camps in Afghanistan remains unresolved. The monitoring of these areas has now been stepped up, but most of the Pashtuns who fled the areas earlier this year do not wish to return. Others who have attempted to return have left the area again and are back in the IDP-camps near the border with Pakistan around Chaman. The source did not have any figures to indicate how many of those who tried to return are now back in Chaman. The source added that the Minister of Repatriation is very concerned about the situation and is monitoring it closely. An international source said that many of the people in the IDP-camp in Spin Boldak are being accused of having been affiliated with the Taliban, and that this is the reason why the commandants do not want them to return to the area. The source also said that violent attacks on Pashtuns in the northern areas, including looting of villages and mass-rapes of women, took place as late as end-May 2002, but that they have now ceased. There continue to be instances of harassment and cruelty against Pashtuns. According to the source, many Pashtuns have left the area, and those who stay have various reasons for doing so. Firstly, there was a group of Pashtuns who had resources and could therefore afford to buy protection. Others had connections to local commandants, and finally there is a group who have now left the area either because of the drought or because their resources have dried up and they can no longer afford to pay for their protection. According to the source, there is still quite a lot of discrimination against Pashtuns in the area. E.g., they have to pay high taxes. In many cases, according to the source, the discrimination is not just based on ethnicity, but it is also a case of fighting for scarce resources - land and water - and the local commandants using ethnicity as an excuse. The source also said, that a high percentage of the population in the northern areas are Pashtuns - a total of about 25%, of which many live in the provinces of Sar-e-Pul and Balkh. According to the source, the Balkh province is probably the safest area for Pashtuns at the moment, partly because new prominent Pashtun leaders have been brought into the Pashtun communities by Dostum.
UNHCR-Kabul said that there are at present discrepancies between the information received from the northern areas and the information gathered through interviews with Pashtuns in the IDP-camps near Kandahar, as the latter are reporting about continued atrocities in the northern areas. According to the source, in September 2002 there were reports about new Pashtun refugees from the north and the west - from the regions in Faryab and Herat - and from Kunduz. According to the recently arrived refugees in the IDP-camp, there are incidents of harassment of Pashtuns, ranging from beatings to extortion of money by the local commandants and warlords.
UNHCR-Mazar-i-Sharif said that there are also many success stories about Pashtuns, who are returning to the area. According to the source, there is still a considerable amount of discrimination against Pashtuns in terms of access to resources, particularly land, and there are incidents of certain forms of persecution, but generally the situation has improved since March 2002. The three most important commandants in the area have publicly spoken about the situation for Pashtuns, which appears to have helped to some extent.CCA found that the situation of Pashtuns in the northern areas has now improved, largely due to the presence of the international community. In this context, CCA referred to the HRW's investigation26, and that the central government has sent several delegations to the area. According to CCA, there are currently no violations or restrictions against Pashtuns in the northern areas.
However, the Pashtuns who fled the area earlier are not convinced that they are able to return and remain in the IDP-camps near the border with Pakistan (Chaman) and the area around Kandahar (Spin Boldak). According to CCA, there are no recent refugees from the area."

Document(s): Open document

07.03.2003 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Many Pashtuns are in prison in Afghanistan suspected of having served the Taliban ("The Political, Security and Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan: Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan; 22 September - 5 October 2002") [#11326],  [ID 1542]

"Sources representing international aid workers advised that many Pashtuns are in prison in Afghanistan suspected of having served the Taliban. No organizations have access to these prisoners, who are kept under poor conditions, and no legal actions against them have been initiated. Aid workers are waiting for permission from the authorities to investigate further, including finding out what form of activities the prisoners may have been involved in.
The Norwegian chargé d'affaires said that he had visited the prison in Sheberghan in May 2002, and according to the source, a number of young men of both Pakistani and Afghan origin were held there, suspected of being affiliated with al-Qaida and the Taliban, and that so far no steps had been made to bring them before a court.
The head of the UNHCR office in Mazar-i-Sharif said that the issue of being suspected of having served the Taliban continues to be a major concern for many Pashtuns who fled the northern regions and are now living as internally displaced persons in camps around Kandahar (Spin Boldak). Many of these internally displaced persons are still not willing to return to the northern regions of Afghanistan for fear of reprisals from the local population (cf. also section 4.6 about ethnic groups).
The coordinator of UNAMA's Civil Affairs Branch explained that former Taliban people, who previously held high positions and were leaders in the provinces or the central region, are now risking persecution - in Kabul as well as in the northern regions - unless they are part of a powerful network. If they return to the villages, where they are known to be part of the Taliban, rank and file Taliban members may have problems. According to the source, the Taliban was an organized group with a clearly defined structure. It was obvious who gave the orders, and people who were actively involved in the movement - often against their own groups - are known locally. According to the source, they should stay away from their area or origin, but may return to other regions. [...]
Today there are instances of persecution of Pashtuns based on ethnicity, and according to the source, it is not important whether or not the groups persecuted were former members of the Taliban. The important fact is that they are Pashtuns."

Document(s): Open document

01.03.2003 - Source: BBC News

Ethnic Pashtuns living in northern Afghanistan complained of harassment; as a result thousands of them still in refugee camps in the south have been reluctant to return to their homes in the north ("Afghan leaders to help refugees") [#11180],  [ID 1543]

Document(s): Open document

13.01.2003 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Some 50.000 Pashtuns reportedly expelled from the province of Jawzjan ("Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world E/CN.4/2003/39") [#10757],  [ID 1544]

"North: Some 50,000 Pashtuns were reportedly expelled from the province of Jawzjan after the collapse of the Taliban regime. Those new internally displaced ersons (IDPs)have been living in the area of Spin Boldak in the south of the country and a number of them were moved recently to the nearby Zar-I-Dasht IDP camp, which the Special Rapporteur visited. Local commanders are blamed for the harassment and expulsion of certain ethnic groups; appropriation of land, looting of cattle and other property and forced expulsions of people belonging to a specific ethnicity were also reported in the provinces of Sari Pul, Faryab, Badakshan and Takhar. About 9,000 families are said to have been expelled from Badakshan and Takhar. Delegations representing the victims have made representations to President Karzai, General Dostum and other authorities. The IDPs interviewed at Zar-I-Dasht confirmed these reports. They indicated that they would like to return, but only if the security situation improved and they could return in safety. A Return Commission, with the involvement of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Afghan national Human Rights Commission, and the northern local authorities, under the overall guidance of the central Government and with the direct involvement of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, is engaged in the North to create conditions for the return of the ethnic minorities and a greater sense of security to stop further displacements;

West: Similar gross violations have reportedly been perpetrated against specific ethnic groups living in the Herat region, particularly in the provinces of Ghurian and Shindand. The violations reported include cases of harassment and discrimination against specific ethnic groups; intimidation against civil society, organizations and individuals, arbitrary detention and torture; and violation of the rights of women. About 15,000 Pashtuns are reported to have fled from the district of Khost. A Human Rights Watch report (November 2002) has given detailed accounts of such reported violations;"

Document(s): Open document
02457afgh.pdf

13.08.2002 - Source: UN General Assembly

Faryab - Displaced Pashtuns left their homes ("Situation of human rights in Afghanistan A/57/309") [#9762],  [ID 1546]

"Reliable reports from the north-western province of Faryab indicated that between February and early May, some 2,000 displaced Pashtun people in Badghis left their homes in Faryab in fear of persecution and that there was a refugee flow of some five to ten families from Faryab every day. Pashtuns were reportedly attacked in Ghowr, Badghis, Faryab and the northern province of Balkh and subsequently made their way to the Shaidayee internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Herat. The human rights abuses included killings, beating, looting and sexual assault.
During the same period, some 1,500 Pashtuns are reported to have fled to an IDP camp west of Mazar-i-Sharif. Reliable reports received in the course of May and June reflect concerns over what was described as deteriorating security conditions and alarming levels of violence in parts of northern Afghanistan. Reports from four districts of Faryab Province (Shrintagab, Daulatabad, Qaysar and Almar)indicated that abuse, extortion and violence targeting Pashtun and other vulnerable families continued in June. There were numerous reports of fighting between armed factions in Balkh and in areas around Mazar-i-Sharif. Robberies and killings of local Afghans have been reported from various parts of southern Afghanistan, ranging from Kandahar to Helmand."

Document(s): Open document
02385afgh.pdf

09.08.2002 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

IWPR: Hezb-e Wahdat attacks Tajik and Pashtun villages in Bamyan ("Militias Intimidate Refugees") [#8310],  [ID 1548]

"Residents of Jogra and other nearby Tajik and Pashtun villages, totalling 3500 families, fled after the fall of Taleban, concerned that Hazara fighters, who had previously been targeted by the student militia, would return to the area to wreak vengeance.
Their worst fears were realised in Jogra, one of 13 Tajik villages in Bamyan, with the village turned into ruins by the gunmen, members of one of the militias attached to the Hizb-e-Wahdat, the Hazara political party. Bamiyan, located in the heart of Afghanistan, has a population of 350,000 according to the 2002 government statistics. It consists of Hazara, Tajik and Pashtun tribes, which form 78, 20 and 2 per cent of its population, respectively.
[…]The continued presence of Hazara gunmen in the various districts of Bamyan has alarmed local residents and returning refugees who have complained vainly to the provincial governors and the Hizb-e-Wahadat leaders. They say the fighters are intimidating and show them little respect.
[…]
Despite the tensions, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has sought to help displaced people return to their homes. “In all about 1400 families, around 6700 people, many of whom fled to Iran and Pakistan, have returned all over Bamyan with our help,” said agency spokesman Nasir Fernandez."

Document(s): Open document

04.08.2002 - Source: UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

UMAMA: Situation of Pashtun minority around Faryab ("UNAMA Mazar: Mazar Area Weekly Integrated Report 26th July-4th August 2002") [#8309],  [ID 1549]

"Reports from different villages of Almar district of Faryab of Pashtun families facing problems and violations were investigated jointly by UNAMA and UNHCR. Villages include Khuja Gawhar, Kafter Khan, Bad Bad, Mir Shadi. The village the village of Khuja Gawhar consists of some ten smaller villages (hamlets) and is predominantly Pashtun. The area of Khuja Gawhar is controlled and protected by the Khan Agha who is an ethnic Pashtun and a member of Jumbish party. Khan Agha has been appointed by General Dostum to assure returning Pashtuns of their safety in coming home. However it appears security is calm only close to the Khuja Gawhar centre, but further away there are problems. Village delegations reported incidents in two remote villages (hamlets). The village of Kafter Khan (80% Pashtun and 20% Uzbek) is frequently exposed to extortion performed by the commander Fatulah (an ethnic Uzbek, a member of Jumbish party). Ten Pashtun families left the village some ten days ago. It is not clear where they went to. The village of Bad Bad (100% Pashtun) is often raided by villagers from the neighbouring village of Mir Shadi (100% Uzbek) who are pressurising Pashtuns to leave place of their origin. Allegedly, villagers from Mir Shadi want to take over Pashtun agricultural land. A month ago, five Pashtun families fled the village of Bad Bad and they went towards the Ghormach District in the Badghis Province.
[…]
The disbanding of the District Military Council in some of the districts of Faryab may result in a reduction of human rights incidents particularly against Pashtuns as antagonists are reduced in terms of their ‘legitimate’ power base."

Document(s): Open document
Archive

23.07.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW: Ethnic Pashtuns continue to flee targeted violence, rape and seizure of farmland in the North ("Afghanistan Unsafe for Refugee Returns/ U.N. Refugee Agency Sending "Misleading" Message") [#7932],  [ID 1547]

"[…] ethnic Pashtuns, a minority in the north, continue to flee targeted violence, rapes of women and children, seizure of farmland and demands of money by local commanders in Farah and Faryab province."

Document(s): Open document

04.07.2002 - Source: ReliefWeb

AFP: More than 25,000 Afghans (mainly Pashtuns from the North) seeking refuge in Pakistan are stranded at the border ("Over 25,000 Afghan refugees languishing at Pakistan border: UNHCR (AFP)") [#7759],  [ID 1550]

"More than 25,000 Afghans seeking refuge in Pakistan are stranded at the border following a decision by Islamabad to shut the door on refugees, the United Nations refugee agency said Thursday.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said most of the Afghans seeking political asylum in Pakistan were ethnic Pashtuns fleeing persecution in the volatile Tajik and Uzbek-dominated north. The Pashtuns will not return to their home cities of Shibarghan and Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan because they fear violence from the dominant Uzbek groups. The Pakistani authorities were holding them at a detention centre following a decision in February not to allow any more to come in. The UNHCR said it carried out a head count of the stranded refugees at Chaman, a town on the Pakistan side of the border, in a bid to help relocate them. "The head count, carried out in the last week of June with the help of local authorities and non-governmental agencies, found there were 6,003 families and 25,693 individuals," the UNHCR said in a statement."

Document(s): Open document

27.06.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW: Pashtuns living in the Sakhi camp face widespread sexual violence and looting by Jamiat and Junbish militiamen ("Precipice: Insecurity in Northern Afghanistan") [#7632],  [ID 1551]

"Many ethnic Pashtuns in Sakhi camp were targeted by the newly victorious Northern Alliance forces, initially including both Jamiat and Junbish troops, who established a presence in the camp following the collapse of Taliban rule in Mazar. According to residents and aid workers interviewed by Human Rights Watch, Pashtuns living in the camp faced widespread sexual violence and looting by Jamiat and Junbish militiamen. An entire section of the camp housing an estimated 400 Pashtun families was destroyed, and lay in ruins at the time of Human Rights Watch’s visit to the camp in early June. Many of the Pashtun residents subsequently fled the camp, with some reportedly heading toward the largely Pashtun town of Balkh. Pashtun women remaining in the camp who were interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that cases of sexual violence had diminished since the immediate post-Taliban period, largely due to the reduced presence of armed men in the camp. But all spoke of a continued fear of sexual assault. The abuses against Pashtuns in Sakhi camp reflect a much wider pattern of targeted attacks on Pashtun communities by Jamiat, Junbish, and Hizb-i Wahdat forces as Taliban rule unravelled across northern Afghanistan, documented by Human Rights Watch in an April 2002 report, “Paying for the Taliban's Crimes: Abuses Against Ethnic Pashtuns in Northern Afghanistan.” Pashtuns who were recently displaced from the Shoor Darya valley of Faryab province described continued abuses by the locally dominant Junbish forces, including denial of access to agricultural lands, recurrent demands for money, and sexual violence against women and adolescent boys. While the intensive looting of Pashtun communities associated with the collapse of the Taliban has subsided in Shoor Darya, regular demands for money by commanders appear to be compounding the impoverishment of local Pashtuns. The practice, as described to Human Rights Watch, involves the collection of money in each village by tribal leaders who are appointed by the commanders and backed by the threat of force. Various pretexts are used in collecting money, such as keeping the troops properly clothed. As in many other parts of the north where Human Rights Watch has previously documented abuses against Pashtun communities, Pashtuns from Dawlatabad sharply distinguished between the conduct of the Junbish commanders in Shoor Darya and that of the neighboring Uzbek villagers."

Document(s): Open document

10.05.2002 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

IRIN: Pashtun families leave homes in Ghowr, Badghis, Faryab (western provinces) and in Balkh (northern AfganistanI in fear of persecution ("Afghanistan: Pashtuns face persecution in western region") [#6869],  [ID 1552]

"Pashtun families are increasingly being forced out of their homes under threat in the northwestern Afghan province of Faryab, an aid worker told IRIN on Friday. "Over the past three months, we have worked with 2,000 displaced Pashtun people in Badghis, who had left their homes in Faryab in fear of persecution," the country representative for Afghanistan for the UK-based NGO Ockenden International, Ajmal Shirzai, told IRIN in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. "Between five and 10 families are arriving from Faryab every day," he added, saying that many of them feared that they would not be able to return to their homes in the near future."

Document(s): Open document

09.04.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch: Pashtuns in northern Afghanistan face widespread looting, beatings, abductions and extortions ("Paying for the Taliban’s Crimes: Abuses Against Ethnic Pashtuns in Northern Afghanistan") [#6455],  [ID 1554]

"In northern Afghanistan, one ethnic group was effectively left out of the new power arrangement: the ethnic Pashtun minority that had been closely identified with the Pashtun-dominated Taliban. Most of the Taliban leadership had been Pashtuns from southern Afghanistan. As soon as the Taliban collapsed, Pashtun communities were quickly disarmed across northern Afghanistan, and soon faced widespread abuses at the hands of the three ethnic militias—Junbish, Wahdat, and Jamiat—as well as by armed Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Hazaras taking advantage of the imbalance of power created by the sudden disarming of Pashtun communities. Throughout northern Afghanistan, Pashtun communities faced widespread looting, beatings, abductions, extortion, and incidents of killing and sexual violence. In some communities, these abuses continued for months. While the wave of violence and abuse against Pashtuns has somewhat diminished since the first months following the fall of the Taliban, Pashtun communities continue to face serious and regular abuses. In addition, Pashtun communities have been stripped of their assets, impoverished, and displaced by the abuses, and face a difficult future.
Targeted violence against ethnic Pashtuns has led to the internal displacement of thousands across northern Afghanistan, with most moving from rural areas toward cities and towns that have larger concentrations of Pashtuns and where they believe there is greater security. Although some have taken up residence in private homes, others live in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) or in abandoned villages. Pashtun villagers frequently said that they were systematically denied access to humanitarian aid by local authorities or non-Pashtun residents on the basis of their ethnicity."

Document(s): Open document
00799afgh.pdf

04.2002 - Source: Physicians for Human Rights

Physicians for Human Rights: Mostly ethnic Pashtuns affected by human rights abuses among new IDPs in Herat ("A Survey of Human Rights Abuses Among New Internally Displaced Persons; Herat, Afghanistan") [#6903],  [ID 1553]

"The findings of this study indicate that abuses were committed on a widespread basis among Pashtun households in Western Afghanistan. Armed militias (primarily Uzbek forces) have used intimidation, extortion and committed abuses against civilians, primarily ethnic Pashtuns, including killings, beatings, shootings, disappearances, and gang rape. The findings also indicate that despite increased international assistance and humanitarian aid, lack of food distribution and the need for emergency assistance were the main reasons that people in Western Afghanistan left their home villages to go to Shaidayee IDP camp.
[…]
The respondents in this study reported that at least one or more abuses had occurred in 8% of all households, 3% of Tajik households and 14% of Pashtun households. Abuses occurred in home villages in 10 districts in Ghor, Baghdis, and Faryab provinces. Sixty-eight percent of the abuses were attributed to Uzbek forces. The abuses among Pashtuns were 2-5 times the number of reported abuses among other ethnic groups in Shaidayee camp. It is clear that in several instances the abusers were known to the respondents and that the abusers were primarily of Uzbek ethnicity. In one case, an Uzbek commander was involved in extortion from a Pashtun household, creating a question of whether or not other Uzbek commanders are complicit in these abuses.
[…]
While it is not clear how many of the abuses were directly ordered by local commanders, violations against ethnic Pashtuns were pervasive enough that commanders and local authorities are likely to be aware of them. Nonetheless, little has been done to insist upon order or to end persecution of the Pashtun. Predominantly Pashtun Afghans associated with the Taliban regime were guilty of many abuses against men, women, and children from minority ethnic groups, and in particular the Uzbeks and Hazaras. It appears now to be the case that some individuals as well as military figures are acting against Pashtun civilians by way of reprisal. Alternatively, some abuses may simply be opportunistic attacks to steal or look for the weakest within a community."

Document(s): Open document

15.03.2002 - Source: British Agencies Afghanistan Group

British Agencies Afghanistan Group: Pashtuns targeted because of their perceived support for the Taliban ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; February 2002") [#5987],  [ID 1555]

"Afghans are still leaving Afghanistan and, since the beginning of January, about 30,000 new arrivals have been registered in UNHCR refugee camps near Chaman, Pakistan. The targeting of Pushtuns in northern Afghanistan, because of their perceived support for the Taliban and relative wealth, has been the major factor in the current outflow, with banditry and insecurity added considerations."

Document(s): afg-baag0202.doc

06.03.2002 - Source: Amnesty International

Human Rights Watch: Testimonies from more than 150 accounts of anti-Pashtun violence in northern Afghanistan ("Anti-Pashtun Violence in Northern Afghanistan: Recent Testimonies") [#5859],  [ID 1557]

"The following testimonies are selected from more than 150 accounts of anti-Pashtun violence in northern Afghanistan gathered by Human Rights Watch researchers during a four-week research mission in February and March 2002. Human Rights Watch researchers visited dozens of villages and communities across northern Afghanistan, from Faryab province in the northwest to Baghlan province in the north-central mountains. They documented more than 150 separate incidents of violence and looting over the past three months, some occurring as recently as late February 2002, and found many Pashtun villages looted in their entirety. A comprehensive report on Human Rights Watch's findings will be issued in the near future."

Document(s): Open document

03.03.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch: Incidents of violence and looting ("Anti-Pashtun Violence Widespread In Afghanistan") [#5729],  [ID 1558]

"Over the last four weeks, teams from Human Rights Watch have visited over two dozen villages and communities across northern Afghanistan, from Faryab province in the northwest to Baghlan in the north central mountains. They have documented over 150 separate incidents of violence and looting over the last three months, some of them as recent as this week. The testimony of Pashtuns across this large area was consistent in its depiction of violence, looting, and intimidation at the hands of local commanders."

Document(s): Open document

20.02.2002 - Source: BBC News

BBC: Pashtuns forcibly removed from their land ("Afghanistan's Pashtuns 'suffer abuses'") [#5667],  [ID 1561]

Document(s): Open document

20.02.2002 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

IRIN: Most of the refugees who have entered to Pakistan are Pashtuns ("Pakistan: New influx of Afghans") [#5636],  [ID 1562]

Document(s): Open document

19.02.2002 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR: Pashtuns from mixed villages in the North report robbery and intimidation at instigation of local commanders (Jozjan, Faryab, Badghis provinces) ("UNHCR Briefing Note: Afghanistan: dramatic increase in numbers at Chaman border") [#5623],  [ID 1559]

"UNHCR estimates there are now nearly 20,000 Afghans at the edge of the Killi Faizo transit camp at the Chaman border, Pakistan, waiting to be registered. This is a dramatic increase from the number that were there just a few days ago. Ten days ago we were seeing only about 5,000 persons waiting at the frontier. UNHCR staff at the Killi Faizo camp are registering about 400 families daily. The remaining thousands wait just outside for their turn, living under makeshift plastic shelters that stretch as far as the eye can see. We're providing them with WFP biscuits and water and blankets. Some ethnic Pashtuns among the new arrivals tell stories of being robbed and intimidated in mixed villages in the north, often at the instigation of local commanders, before deciding to seek safety elsewhere. Most of the Afghans in this group come from Jozjan, Faryab, and Badghis provinces. Some of the others say they left the makeshift displaced persons camps at Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar Province, where they say they didn't receive any assistance."

Document(s): Open document

30.01.2002 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

IRIN: Ethnic Pashtuns reportedly face problems in Kunduz and Mazar-e Sharif ("Afghanistan: New influx of Afghan refugees") [#5439],  [ID 1563]

Document(s): Open document