Amnesty International
Urgent Human Rights Appeal
We write to express our profound outrage and deep concern over the brutal killing of an Afghan refugee woman, Fatima (30), and her three young children, whose bodies were discovered hanging inside their residence in the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi, Pakistan. This horrific incident represents a grave violation of the most fundamental human rights, including the right to life, safety, and human dignity.
This atrocity is not an isolated case. In recent months, multiple Afghan refugees, including a married couple in Islamabad, have been subjected to violent and fatal attacks. These repeated incidents reveal an alarming pattern of insecurity, lack of protection, and systemic failure to safeguard Afghan migrants—particularly women and children—who are among the most vulnerable populations.
Afghan refugee families in Pakistan face widespread insecurity, escalating domestic and structural violence, and the near-total absence of effective legal protection. Women and children are disproportionately exposed to abuse, exploitation, and lethal harm, while fear of detention, deportation, or discrimination often prevents victims from seeking justice.
We urge the United Nations and Amnesty International to take immediate and decisive action by:
1. Publicly condemning this crime and similar acts of violence against Afghan refugees in Pakistan;
2. Calling on the Government of Pakistan to conduct a transparent, independent, and thorough investigation into this case and to hold all perpetrators accountable;
3. Pressing for concrete measures to ensure the protection, legal support, and physical safety of Afghan refugees, with particular attention to women and children;
4. Monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation of Afghan migrants in Pakistan, including patterns of violence, impunity, and discrimination.
Silence and inaction in the face of such atrocities contribute to the normalization of violence and embolden those who act with impunity. The international community bears a moral and legal responsibility to protect vulnerable refugee populations and to ensure that crimes of this magnitude do not go unanswered.
The lives of Afghan refugees matter. Justice must not be delayed, and accountability must not be denied.
Sincerely,
Afghanistan Organization for Development of Human Right (AODHR)
29 December 2025
