Escaping the Taliban: CTV News' Genevieve Beauchemin meets Afghan refugees left in limbo in Pakistan

Amid the bustling streets of Pakistan – full of noise and teeming with life – thousands of people are waiting, their lives on hold indefinitely, after narrowly escaping the Taliban.

CTV News' Genevieve Beauchemin, along with CTV National News executive producer Rosa Hwang, travelled recently to Islamabad, a place that has long-been a refuge for Afghans, to meet those in limbo, many of whom are widows with children.

• Read more: Afghans forced out of their homeland now homeless

Many of the Afghan people she met came to live in makeshift refugee camps set up in Pakistani parks following the Taliban's deadly takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Now these refugees are playing a waiting game in Pakistan's crowded camps, often without clean water. For now it's their only option.

"Their lives have been shattered by the fall of Kabul into Taliban hands. They cannot return to Afghanistan, cannot stay in Pakistan, and for now have nowhere else to go," Beauchemin said.

Her reflections on the people she met in the makeshift refugee camps of Islamabad aired Friday CTV News Channel, in a special titled, "Escaping the Taliban: Reporter's Notebook by Genevieve Beauchemin." The special can also be watched on Crave.

Her recollections include stories from people like Reza Kateb, who has been awarded by the Canadian government for his efforts on gender equality in Afghanistan. After escaping retribution from the Taliban because of his work, Kateb, his wife and three children still wait for a flight to Canada more than a year later, despite his recognition.

His story is one of several. Others, too, spoke to CTV News about feeling that the Canadian government let them down.

One man spoke of selling everything his family had to get to Pakistan. Another woman told of the depression her five-year-old had begun to feel, saying he'd stopped eating and playing.

“The lives of Afghans living in Pakistan waiting for refuge in Canada are on hold. They are not allowed to work, their children are not allowed to go to school. And that is often among the first thing people told me: that they wanted their sons and daughters to have an education," Beauchemin said.

Theirs is a waiting game that has become dangerous, as the Pakistani government begins to arrest and deport foreigners without visas or with expired visas, leaving many refugees in fear of having to return to Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban's takeover, Canada has welcomed 27,670 Afghan refugees, but advocates and families of Afghan nationals continue to apply pressure to the Canadian government in fear of the safety of their families.

Additionally, deadly floods have swept entire villages and towns in Pakistan during what was one of its worst monsoon seasons, exacerbated by climate change. It was a setback that is said to cost the nation US$40 billion in damages.

“Pakistan has been through a horrific few months as it tries to recover from devastating floods that forced many out of their homes, and that is such an important story to share," Beauchemin said.

Among the most vulnerable to the impacts of the flooding are refugees, some of whom spoke about being homeless and having no access to facilities.

Despite evident hopelessness felt by many as they count the hours, the minutes, until they can fly to another country to start over, she said, "we found stories of resilience," she said.

In particular, Beauchemin said she kept thinking about one girl who'd decided to teach other children the alphabet. Despite the conditions and unanswered questions, she managed to keep a bright smile on her face.

Noting how hopeful she was, Beauchemin said she doesn't want the world to let her down.

CTV News Channel aired the CTV News Special "Escaping the Taliban: Reporter's Notebook by Genevieve Beauchemin" on Friday, Feb. 3, at 9 p.m. EST.