ICC CWC: Why did Ibrahim Zadran dedicate his award to refugees in Pakistan?

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: The remarks by Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran come in the backdrop of Pakistan asking all undocumented Afghan refugees to leave the country by November 1

After being adjudged player of the match for his match-winning 87 against Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran dedicated his award to the Afghan refugees whom Pakistan is sending back.

Chasing a target of 283, Zadran put on 130 runs for the opening wicket with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) to give Afghanistan an excellent foundation. Afghanistan created history by defeating Pakistan for the first time in ODIs. They had earlier defeated defending champions England by 69 runs.

Ibrahim Zadran expresses solidarity with Afghan refugees

At the post-match presentation, Zadran expressed his solidarity with the Afghan refugees who faced deportation from Pakistan. "I am feeling very glad for myself and for my country. I want to dedicate this man of the match award to those who are sent back to Afghanistan from Pakistan," Zadran said in the post-match presentation.

Why did Ibrahim Zadran dedicate his award to Afghan refugees?

The remarks by Zadran come in the backdrop of Pakistan asking all undocumented Afghan refugees to leave the country by November 1. According to media reports, 3,248 Afghan refugees were deported to Afghanistan from Pakistan on October 21. More than 51,000 Afghans have been deported since the deadline for the expulsion of undocumented migrants was announced. The government's decision to restrict border crossing to only those with valid passports and visas will come into effect on November 1, and after that, no one will be allowed to cross the Pak-Afghan border using a Pakistani identity card or Afghan permit, according to media reports from Pakistan. Around 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan lack legal papers.

Why has Pakistan announced a crackdown on Afghan refugees?

On October 3, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced a crackdown on "illegal" Afghans, asking them to leave the country by November. A rise in attacks along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has escalated diplomatic tensions between the two countries. It has also stoked antipathy in Pakistan. In late September, a blast at Madina Mosque in Mastung City, near the border with Afghanistan, killed at least 52 people during a religious celebration.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants have taken refuge in Pakistan for decades, more so after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. According to the United Nations, around 880,000 have received the legal status to remain in Pakistan, while about 1.3 million Afghans are registered as refugees. Bugti has claimed that another 1.7 million Afghan migrants are in the country "illegally". He said those people would have to either have to leave voluntarily or through a forced deportation.

UN experts expressed concern over the risk of refoulement for Afghan nationals. They warned many families, women, and children would be at risk of irreversible harm. They also expressed concern bon reports that Afghans living in Pakistan have been subjected to arrests and undignified treatment, including since Pakistan announced its repatriation plan.