A former Afghan soldier who had been living in Pakistan for some time has hanged himself.
The reason behind this suicide is said to be the psychological pressure caused by the prolonged wait for his immigration case to be processed by the U.S. embassy, and pressure from the Pakistani government to deport Afghan refugees.
Hamidullah, a friend of the former soldier, told Future Afghanistan that the incident occurred on the morning of Sunday, April 20, in the “New Katarian Market” area of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The name of the former soldier was Usman, who had previously served as a Major in the former Afghan National Army.
Hamidullah added that Major Usman hanged himself around 11:00 AM using the ceiling fan in his room. He further explained that the body of the former Afghan soldier was transferred to Holy Family Hospital for a medical examination, and after necessary procedures, it will be returned to Afghanistan for burial.
The friend of the Afghan refugee further stated:
“Major Usman was originally from Khwaja Ghar district of Takhar province and belonged to the Uzbek ethnic group. He had a P2 immigration case and had been waiting for about two years. After the suspension of the U.S. immigration program by Donald Trump and the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, he developed psychological issues and eventually committed suicide.”
Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, had suspended the processing of immigration cases for 90 days. This suspension has caused severe depression among many immigration applicants, as most fear returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
This comes amid a wave of migration following the collapse of the Afghan Republic. Thousands of former soldiers, civil activists, and Afghan citizens fled to Pakistan fearing the Taliban. Many of them have pending immigration cases with the United States and European countries. With the increasing pace of deportations from Pakistan, these refugees are now under immense psychological pressure.
