PESHAWAR, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 10th Aug, 2026) The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has halted the deportation of two Afghan journalists to Afghanistan for the time being and directed the Federal government to decide their cases within 60 days.
The court issued a detailed written judgment on petitions filed by Afghan journalists Syed Ehsanullah Salehi and Syed Munir Ahmad.
According to the judgment on Monday, both petitioners are Afghan journalists who entered Pakistan on valid visas. They told the court that they had applied for resettlement in France in 2026 and that their applications were still under consideration. The court was also informed that their cases had already been verified by the French Embassy.
The journalists’ counsel told the court that despite their legal stay in Pakistan, the petitioners feared arrest and deportation to Afghanistan.
Due to the fear of deportation, the petitioners were unable to move freely and were also facing difficulties in accessing medical facilities, including hospitals, the court was told.
In its ruling, the Peshawar High Court directed the federal government to review and decide the cases of both petitioners within 60 days.
The court further directed the federal government and relevant authorities not to arrest or deport the petitioners to Afghanistan during this period.
The court ruled that if the federal government fails to decide the cases within the stipulated 60-day period, the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior shall proceed with the matter of issuing temporary permission to the petitioners to remain in Pakistan.
The court also referred to previous cases of a similar nature, noting that the federal government had previously been directed to decide such cases within 60 days.
