KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A report published on 6 March 2026 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) indicates that a growing number of Afghan journalists who fled their country to seek safety in Pakistan are now being caught in a widening crackdown on refugees, as tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensify.

The situation has raised alarm among press freedom advocates, particularly after Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that detained journalists risk severe retaliation if they are deported back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The escalation of clashes between the two countries, described by Islamabad as an “open war” on February 27, has reportedly been used as justification for a new wave of repression targeting Afghan refugees, including exiled journalists. According to RSF, several Afghan reporters have been arrested across Pakistan in recent days as security operations against refugees intensified.