Pakistan wants early repatriation of Afghan refugees
“All the past efforts to repatriate them voluntarily and with dignity could not bring the desired results,” he said while chairing an Inter-Ministerial Meeting on Afghan Refugees Repatriation Strategy on Thursday. He emphasised on the need to make timely efforts to increase the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
He stated that the conditions are quite suitable to repatriate Afghan refugees with dignity and honour and their reintegration in their homeland is possible.
The government has devised a Contingency Plan accordingly which has been shared with all stakeholders for the safe return of all refugees back to Afghanistan by 2013, he said while adding that Pakistan has been hosting millions of refugees for over three decades.
Federal Secretary Safron Habibullah Khan Khattak, representatives of Law and Interior Ministries from all provinces, Commissioners of Afghan Refugees from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad and other high officials from Safron also attended the meeting.
Engineer Khan informed that since 2002, over 5.7 million Afghan refugees voluntarily returned back to their homeland, showing that the situation in Afghanistan is safer and can absorb the returning nationals economically, socially and politically.
'Time for Afghan refugees to return home'
While saying that Pakistan never “gloated” about hosting Afghan refugees or claimed that they were a burden, Pakistan’s next ambassador to the UN mission in New York, Masood Khan, said that it was time for them to “return home”.
In a press briefing, Khan said that the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan should return home with “dignity and honour” and urged for the international community’s help in the matter. He added that Pakistan had limited resources and asked for Afghanistan’s cooperation in repatriating Afghan families.
He added that Pakistan had provided a shelter for Afghan refugees during the war.
Responding to a question regarding the cancellation of the bilateral meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Khan said that the meeting was postponed as both leaders had commitments, adding that they were trying to reschedule the meeting.
Earlier on Wednesday, a press representative of the Pakistan mission to the UN had told reporters that both leaders would hold a bilateral meeting on Wednesday evening.
Khan also said that while the United Kingdom had played the part of a facilitator, Afghanistan’s and Pakistan’s leaders had direct contacts. He said that Afghan High Peace Council Head Salahuddin Rabbani would visit Pakistan before Eid.
The foreign office representative also said that the two countries would work on a strategic agreement by the next year and that the foreign ministers of both the countries would also meet soon on the matter. However, he declined to announce a definite timeframe for the meeting.
He further said that there was a need for intelligence sharing between both countries.
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i m not totally agree with your comments, many of you have shared negative thinking , not all afghanies are the cause of terrorism ,hindrance in the peace and poverty.
i agree that Afghan should be sent back.Pakistan is for Pakistanis.Pakistan gave them refugee for twenty to thirty years.They brought extremisn ,weapon,drug,their wild culture.All refugee like Afghan,burmis,Bangalis shold be deported.They all are not legally pakistasni citizen.
yeh stupid don.t insult of afghan nobody can take out any afghan from pakistan becoz pakistan is part of of afghanistan becoz pakistan has no histry so pakistan was part of afghanistan its and it will be
I think Pakistani govt should not send Afghan brothers back because we are all Muslims, one Umma. The hateful comments you might read from "Afghans" are mostly fake and even if they were not, a bunch of westernized thugs do not represent the whole of Afghanistan.
Btw. how is the govt able to "close" the 2000 km long border? If you send them from Peshawer, they will come back through Chaman etc.
Yes, unless they are all sent back we don't see the peace in Afghanistan. Because those outside may party to others just to sabotage peace in Afghanistan and for centuries they would remain same as they are from last 3 decades. Enough of bloodshed and destruction Afghans need to be sent back to ensure peace on its soil. If they can't go voluntarily they must be sent forcibly if UNHCR or another power speaks of Refugees rights and status they should look to resettle them elsewhere they can but other than Pakistan.
We should send then back because enough is enough. We are bearing this burden for the last 30 years which no developing country does and we got no thanks from this thankless nation. They are sharing resources, land and government jobs with our Pathan and Baloch brothers in KPK and Balochistan. They are causing poverty, crime and high illiteracy in Pakistan. Remember when Afghanistan was a stable country, tens of thousand Muslim refugees from British-India were simply turned back from the border.
We already helped too much for afghan people and we are keeping helping them but it’s not fair when afghan came to our country what they brought heroin, kalashankoff and destroyed our peace so it’s time to go back and I’m 100 % sure problem will resolve enough is enough they killing our people and who is behind those afghan is India. So better they can migrate to india should accept afghan refugee but I know india will not accept so who help them Pakistani
In other words we need more $$$s in their name from the UN. Whatever demands we make to the world, US or UN there are always $$$s involved in the end.
These Afghans are refugess because of Pakistan's policy of supporting Taliban.
As Muslims, do we recall if the people of Madina (Yathrib) asked those who had migrated from Mecca to return? If others around us in the modern times are acting less and less like what we have been taught, is it a justification for us to do the same?
@Smj
Send them to their indian brothers who miss no chance professing their love for afghanis and hatred of pakistan :)
Ah but if Burma wants to repatriate people who are not Burmese and are creating fassad in their coutnry, same standards wilnot apply. If India wants to send back illegal Bangladeshis, the same standards will not apply.
i this is one of must unhuman decision that pakistani peopel and government can take on those afghans, pakistan been really good to those afghans but its not wright to kick the out the country. must of afghans have big businesses in pakistan which helps paki too so think about it guys!!!!!
Send them to Saudi Arabian brothers.
@Temur: They are refugees regardless of where they were born ... by your logic any international student in Europe should get citizenship for their children if they're born there but that is not the law even in developed countries let alone in an under developed country like Pakistan which has over population problem and lives on IMF loans and US grants and even then providing totally free healthcare, free education and tax free businesses among other facilities which is an example one cannot find any where else in the world. These refugees must return since they can no longer live here on pretext of instability in their country which is far better than ours from many years and especially in northern part of their country has always been much peaceful. Having said that, there should be valid visa system for those who wants to study here or come here for business purposes. We must close and fence our Western border for the stability of this region at least till the situation improves.
Totally agree on this one, Afghanis have to go back to their country. The Pakistani government, although i know it is hard to do, must find new methods to prevent Afghanis from coming to Pakistan as Refugees. They really need to go back as it is not viable to stay in Pakistan forever. Not fair also that other countries are not accepting their fair share of Afghani refugees, what about India as Afghanis always praise Indians.
Good decision. Will reduce poverty in Pakistan & wil increase jobs for our local popluation.
The majority of these Afghan refugees were born in Pakistan and now they should be given a chance to become the citizen of this country if they want to remain here. Those who want to retain their Afghan citizenship can be repatriated. Treating them like unwanted guests after three decades is inhuman and the clear violation of human rights.
I stand by this decision . We have many other issues than taking care of Refugees. They must return to their country . Afghanistan should welcome them back and learn to take care of their people and start rehabilitation process. They get enough aid ! Peace