Taliban envoy says nearly 10,000 Afghan migrants detained in Pakistan

The Taliban’s envoy in Pakistan said on Friday that nearly 10,000 Afghan nationals are currently being held in prisons and detention centers across the country, amid a sweeping crackdown on undocumented migrants and weeks-long border closures that have left thousands stranded.

Sardar Ahmad Shakib said in a statement that the closures of key border crossings — including Torkham and Chaman — have halted all cross-border movement, transit, and trade between the two countries for nearly three weeks.

“The closure has left thousands of people, including families, stranded by the roadside in dire humanitarian conditions,” Shakib said, warning of worsening health and safety risks for those stuck near the border without access to basic necessities. “The lack of food, medicine, shelter, and clean drinking water has created immense difficulties. In recent days, at least three children and one woman have died due to these conditions,” he said.

The Taliban official described