A stampede in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, that killed at least 12 women and injured many more on Wednesday was caused by desperation to get hold of Pakistani visas, local officials confirmed.
The tragedy took place as thousands of people assembled in the Jalalabad stadium, Nangarhar province, to apply for Pakistani visas after months of coronavirus-linked travel restrictions between the two countries ended this week.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke with Tolo News, the deaths were a result of negligence on behalf of the Pakistani consulate.
“I come here to apply for a visa but there was a huge crowd and it’s very difficult to apply, especially for women and old men,” said Mohammed Daoud. “The government needs to do something about this issue.”
Local health authorities have since confirmed that the “bodies of 12 women have been brought to the hospital.”
“The visa applicants jostled to secure their token from the consulate officials,” added one local official, according to Reuters. “The crowd got out of control, leading to a stampede.”
Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan took to Twitter to offer his condolences to those who lost loved ones.
“Deeply saddened at the reports of casualties at a stadium in Jalalabad 5km from Pakistani Consulate where visa applicants were being organized by Afghan provincial authorities. We sympathize with the families of victims,” he wrote. “We are engaged with Afghan authorities for better facilitation of visa applicants. We are committed to continue visa issuance to Afghan nationals under the new visa policy while making the process smoother and streamlined at our end.”
We are engaged with Afghan authorities for better facilitation of visa applicants. We are committed to continue visa issuance to Afghan nationals under new visa policy while making the process smoother and streamlined at our end. @ForeignOfficePk @mfa_afghanistan
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) October 21, 2020
Khan offered nothing in the way of an apology despite the fact that the consulate released a statement last week announcing that they had implemented “urgent measures to facilitate Pakistani visas for Afghan nationals,” which included issuing visas in applicants’ home towns and cities.
“Under the new visa policy, long term multiple visas are being issued to the Afghan nationals for visiting Pakistan for medical treatment, family matters, business, education, and other purposes,” the embassy said at the time.
According to a report from the United Nations Human Rights Council, around 1.3 million Afghans currently live in Pakistan, although local authorities believe the true figure to be closer to 1.7 million. The majority of these migrants are looking to escape the conflict in their homeland as well as find job opportunities. This figure is expected to surge in the wake of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, which has severely damaged both country’s economies and left people desperate to find work and income.
Following his election in 2018, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to provide full citizenship to the estimated 1.5 million Afghan refugees living in the country, thus improving their chances of employment. He has yet to follow through on this pledge amid domestic pressures, including anger from the Pakistani population over security concerns and additional pressure on the job market.
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