US Prepares Reported Flight for Afghan Detainees to Pakistan

The Trump administration is preparing a charter flight to send Afghan detainees to Pakistan, with more than 150 people reportedly expected to be removed, according to U.S. officials cited in reporting. The government has not publicly confirmed the operation, its passenger count or its destination, and the flight had not been verified as of October 31. A senior U.S. official said preparations were under way for a flight that could leave as early as November 2. Other accounts described it as expected during the first week of November. The reported plan is to send detainees to Pakistan, with a possible onward transfer to Afghanistan, which is under Taliban rule. Neither Pakistan’s formal approval nor any onward transfer has been confirmed. The estimate of more than 150 Afghans came from three U.S. officials cited in reporting. It is an expected figure, not a confirmed passenger count. The Department of Homeland Security said it would not confirm prospective removal operations or flight details. The administration has not announced the operation publicly. AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver said at least 80 Afghans had recently been moved to Louisiana from 34 Immigration and...