Afghans living legally are being ‘blackmailed’

Fazl claims their properties are being seized

PESHAWAR:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that those Afghans who are living legally in Pakistan are being blackmailed and their properties are being seized.

On the issue of the deadline for the return of Afghan refugees, Fazl said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the matter of Afghan refugees was a two-sided problem and that negotiations should be held with the Afghan government.

He disagreed with the method adopted for their return, saying that a strategy should be decided in collaboration with the Afghan government.

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Fazl said that under the guise of illegality, those Afghans who were living legally were also being blackmailed. “The local administration and influential people are engaged in blackmailing Afghans living legally. A cruel behaviour is being adopted to seize their properties.”

He said that such actions would have a negative impact on the relations with the neighbouring country. “The issue of bilateral negotiations should be resolved seriously.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2023.