Mohammad Younis Qari zada, one of the Afghan refugee journalists in Islamabad, Pakistan, stated this during an interview with Kausar News Agency.
According to Qari Zada, many journalists and their families outside the country, particularly in Pakistan, have been grappling with numerous difficulties for the past two years. Mohammad Younis recounts his experiences in Pakistan: ‘Financial and economic issues pushed me to a point where I had to sell one of my belongings. Friends and colleagues prevented me from doing so.’
He further added that the challenges of migration had caused him so much psychological distress that he attempted suicide twice in an attempt to escape this ordeal, though he was not successful. Qarizada emphasized that all journalists struggling in Pakistan share his fate and that they and their children face immense suffering.
When asked if there are fake and fraudulent journalists in Pakistan?
Qari Zada Said: ‘Fake journalists significantly impact the process of evacuations. They prevent us from being included in the evacuation lists of immigrant-receiving countries or complicate the process with their forged documents, leading to repeated document verifications.’
While he did not mention the specific institutions issuing fake journalist documents against payment, Qari Zada confirmed that some such entities still exist in the country, continuing this practice, there are still journalist institutions that, at a meager price, cast doubt and disbelief on our years-long efforts with their skillfully designed documents. They manipulate the documents to a point where even international organizations struggle to differentiate between real and fake ones. Sadly, the fake ones get evacuated, while the genuine ones wait for years.’
