CTV News in Pakistan: Afghans forced out of their homeland now homeless
PAKISTAN -
In a Pakistan park meant for children to play in, there are Afghan children struggling to survive.
Living in flimsy tents, without the basics like running water or enough food, with only their mothers for protection – most of them widows.
“My husband was killed by Taliban,” one young mother told CTV News.
It’s a statement so common among the other women, she said it almost casually. There was more urgency in the follow-up.
“I don’t worry for me. I worry for my children.”
The United Nations estimates only about half of the approximately three million Afghans in Pakistan are registered. The rest are paperless, living on the margins.
These are Afghans with no status. They can’t work. They can’t go to school. They don’t have access to health care.
Then there’s the constant fear of being detained or deported.
The Pakistan government is threatening to end the amnesty that protects foreigners who lack proper documentation. Some 1,500 Afghans, including women and children, have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
The mothers in that makeshift tent city know those temporary shelters won’t withstand the elements of a harsh winter. The children though, are mercifully oblivious to the risk. They happily walked 15 minutes to fetch fresh water as their daily chore.
I saw them laugh as they washed dishes in a small bucket and dutifully remembered to take their shoes off before going inside their tent.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
One girl was so fascinated by correspondent Genevieve Beauchemin asking questions, she could not stop staring. When photojournalist Stéphane Brisson demonstrated the features of his camera, he too was met with wide-eyed wonder.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
Kids are kids. For their mothers, there is constant anxiety.
The influx that started in the late 1970s when Afghans were driven out by the Saur Revolution, then the USSR’s invasion, has ebbed and flowed over the years. It intensified in 2021 when the Taliban reclaimed power.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
When faced with threats and an uncertain future in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, economic hardship in a neighbouring country was the preferred option — a choice both obvious and brave. But in that park in Pakistan, the trade-off looks just as cruel.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'
opinion
opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau meets the moment – and ducks for cover
Based on Justin Trudeau's first-day fail in the House of Commons, 'meeting the moment' is destined to become the most laughable slogan since the elder Pierre Trudeau’s disastrous campaign rallying cry in 1972, which insisted 'the land is strong' just as the economy tanked.
Tyre Nichols case shows officers still fail to intervene
More disciplinary action may be coming now that the harrowing video of Tyre Nichols' treatment has been released. The Memphis police department is among many U.S. law enforcement agencies with 'duty to intervene' policies. Memphis police relieved two other officers of duty Monday and say the department is still investigating what happened.
Family in remote northern Ont. reeling after daughter killed in fire, home destroyed
A family in the remote First Nation community in Peawanuck, Ont., is dealing not only with the death of their young daughter, but the loss of everything they owned in a Jan. 28 house fire.
How did a radioactive capsule go missing in Australia and how dangerous is it?
Australian authorities are mounting an extensive search for a tiny radioactive capsule believed to have fallen out of a road train that travelled 1,400 km in Western Australia. Here's what you need to know:
As B.C. decriminalizes hard drugs, users still face months-long waits for treatment
As the B.C. government decriminalizes small amounts of hard drugs, critics note there are still not enough treatment resources for the users seeking them.
Monkeys taken from Dallas Zoo in latest suspicious incident
Two monkeys were taken from the Dallas Zoo on Monday, police said, the latest in a string of odd incidents at the attraction being investigated -- including fences being cut and the suspicious death of an endangered vulture in the past few weeks.
Ukraine pushes for Western fighter jets after tank deals
Ukraine is pushing its Western allies to provide it with fighter jets, a week after winning pledges of sophisticated modern tanks to help it beat back Russia's invasion force after almost a year of fighting.
Canada
-
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'
-
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.
-
911 issues fixed in the Maritimes following Tuesday morning outage
911 emergency calling in all three Maritime provinces has been fixed following service issues Tuesday morning.
-
Manitoba First Nation to sign child welfare agreement with Ottawa, province
Peguis First Nation is set to become the first Indigenous group in Manitoba to take control of child welfare under federal legislation that came into effect three years ago.
-
Federal agency targeting illegal wildlife trade through financial intelligence
Canada's financial intelligence agency is stepping up the fight against the illicit wildlife trade by taking aim at the criminals who reap big profits from the global racket.
-
Canada Post honours Chloe Cooley with stamp in time for Black History Month
A young Black woman who resisted her own enslavement in Queenston, Upper Canada, in the late 18th century is being honoured by Canada Post.
World
-
Tyre Nichols case shows officers still fail to intervene
More disciplinary action may be coming now that the harrowing video of Tyre Nichols' treatment has been released. The Memphis police department is among many U.S. law enforcement agencies with 'duty to intervene' policies. Memphis police relieved two other officers of duty Monday and say the department is still investigating what happened.
-
Recent extremist attacks kill 32 people in Burkina Faso
Multiple jihadi attacks across Burkina Faso over several days have resulted in the death of at least 32 people, including soldiers and civilians, government authorities said Tuesday.
-
Driver in California cliff crash that injured 4 is charged
The driver of a car that plunged off a treacherous cliff in northern California, seriously injuring himself, his wife and their two young children, was charged Monday with attempted murder.
-
Ukraine pushes for Western fighter jets after tank deals
Ukraine is pushing its Western allies to provide it with fighter jets, a week after winning pledges of sophisticated modern tanks to help it beat back Russia's invasion force after almost a year of fighting.
-
How did a radioactive capsule go missing in Australia and how dangerous is it?
Australian authorities are mounting an extensive search for a tiny radioactive capsule believed to have fallen out of a road train that travelled 1,400 km in Western Australia. Here's what you need to know:
-
Italy on alert amid anarchist attacks on diplomatic missions
Italy's government has increased security around its diplomatic missions around the globe in response to 'a crescendo of terroristic attacks' by an anarchist network that has been acting in solidarity with an imprisoned Italian militant, the foreign minister said Tuesday.
Politics
-
Time is of the essence to bring in and enforce new long-term care standards: authors
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is talking to provinces and territories about new standards for the quality, design and operations of long-term care homes in Canada.
-
Hybrid Parliament should be here to stay, say MPs in new report
The hybrid sitting structure and electronic voting system should become permanent features of the House of Commons, according to a new report from MPs on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee.
-
Health, economy, crime top issues of concern as House of Commons resumes
Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
Health
-
Time is of the essence to bring in and enforce new long-term care standards: authors
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is talking to provinces and territories about new standards for the quality, design and operations of long-term care homes in Canada.
-
Tightness in back and joints? Here are some mobility stretches
Personal fitness instructor Andrea Tam says, as people age they experience tight joints and muscles, but performing mobility exercises for 10 minutes each day can help increase flexibility and prevent injury.
-
As B.C. decriminalizes hard drugs, users still face months-long waits for treatment
As the B.C. government decriminalizes small amounts of hard drugs, critics note there are still not enough treatment resources for the users seeking them.
Sci-Tech
-
China accuses Washington of wanting 'technological hegemony'
China's government accused Washington on Tuesday of pursuing 'technology hegemony' following news reports the United States might step up pressure on tech giant Huawei by blocking all access to American suppliers.
-
China's Baidu to launch ChatGPT-style bot in March: source
Chinese internet search major Baidu Inc is planning to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT in March, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
-
TikTok CEO to testify before U.S. Congress over security concerns
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew will appear before the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee in March, as lawmakers scrutinize the Chinese-owned video-sharing app.
Entertainment
-
Priscilla Presley is contesting validity of Lisa Marie Presley's will
Priscilla Presley is challenging the validity of her late daughter Lisa Marie Presley's will.
-
Deadline nears for Alec Baldwin in deadly movie set shooting
Prosecutors planned to file felony charges of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of a Western movie in 2021.
-
Why everyone's debating Riseborough's best actress Oscar nod
Nothing -- not Tom Cruise's snub nor Austin Butler's lingering Elvis Presley inflections -- has caused quite as much a stir around this year's Oscars as the best-actress nomination for British actress Andrea Riseborough.
Business
-
China accuses Washington of wanting 'technological hegemony'
China's government accused Washington on Tuesday of pursuing 'technology hegemony' following news reports the United States might step up pressure on tech giant Huawei by blocking all access to American suppliers.
-
Imperial Oil reports $1.73-billion Q4 profit, up from $813 million a year earlier
Imperial Oil Ltd. says its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled compared with a year earlier, helped by a strong operating performance across all of its business.
-
Tech and base metal sectors help S&P/TSX composite gain more than 100 points
Strength in the technology and base metal sectors helped Canada's main stock index post a triple-digit advance in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
Lifestyle
-
Tightness in back and joints? Here are some mobility stretches
Personal fitness instructor Andrea Tam says, as people age they experience tight joints and muscles, but performing mobility exercises for 10 minutes each day can help increase flexibility and prevent injury.
-
'Father of Peeps' marshmallow candies Bob Born dies at 98
Ira 'Bob' Born, a candy company executive known as the 'Father of Peeps' for mechanizing the process to make marshmallow chicks, has died. He was 98. Just Born Quality Confections, the 100-year-old family-owned company Born led for much of his life, said Monday that he had died peacefully on Sunday.
-
Marie Kondo is focusing on what's important--and that means letting the tidying slide
Queen of clean Marie Kondo admits that tidying up is no longer top of her to-do list. Posting on her website shortly after the birth of her third child in 2021, the Japanese organization expert reflected on motherhood, saying she had 'eased up on herself' when it comes to tidying.
Sports
-
Apology issued after Chelsea player Mudryk's N-word video
An apology has been issued on behalf of Chelsea player Mykhailo Mudryk after he appeared to use the N-word in a video posted on social media.
-
Gymnastics Canada CEO faces questions from MPs on handling of two disgraced coaches
Gymnastics Canada chief executive officer Ian Moss was on the hot seat at the status of women hearings on safety of women in sport on Monday. Moss was repeatedly questioned by MPs about Gymnastics Canada's handling of coaches Ian Bard and Scott McFarlane amid accusations he knew of complaints from athletes.
-
'Just incredible': Winnipegger and former teammate remembers Bobby Hull
Without Bobby Hull, the Winnipeg Jets wouldn’t be in the NHL right now. That’s how one of his former teammates feels about the late Jets forward.
Autos
-
Tesla gets Justice Department subpoena for self-driving cars
The U.S. Justice Department has requested documents from Tesla Inc. related to its Autopilot and 'Full Self-Driving' features, according to a regulatory filing.
-
Will Europe's ban on Russian diesel hike global fuel prices?
Europe is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia, banning imports of diesel fuel and other products made from crude oil in Russian refineries. The European Union ban takes effect Feb. 5 following its embargo on coal and most oil from Russia.
-
Kia and Hyundai vehicles in Canada not affected by U.S. theft issue, automakers say
Kia and Hyundai vehicles sold in Canada do not have the same anti-theft issue as those in the United States because of Canadian regulations, the automakers say.
