Unidentified assailants shot and killed an Afghan religious leader in Peshawar, Pakistan, police confirmed to Khaama Press, marking another violent incident amid growing hostility toward Afghan refugees facing deportation and harassment.

The victim, identified as Adam Khan, served as an imam from Paktia province and was attacked while riding his motorcycle near Raza Khan Maryamzai Mosque, dying instantly at the scene. Authorities have launched an investigation but have yet to determine a motive or identify suspects, leaving the local Afghan community in heightened fear.

This killing intensifies existing tensions between Afghan refugees and Pakistani authorities, with observers warning that continued crackdowns and forced repatriations could worsen humanitarian conditions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Human rights groups and UN agencies have condemned Pakistan’s deportation campaign, alleging widespread abuses including beatings, extortion, and arbitrary detention of Afghans—many of whom fled Taliban rule.

Despite international calls to halt deportations, Pakistan maintains that only undocumented migrants are being repatriated through lawful procedures. Recent closures of Afghan refugee camps in Balochistan have displaced thousands, while over 13,500 Afghans crossed back through Spin Boldak in just five days, straining humanitarian resources.