Pakistan is providing all facilities to over 3,000,000 Afghan refugees living in Pakistan while on the other hand NGOs are not providing any relief to the refugees, says minister. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
QUETTA: Federal Minister for Borders and Northern areas Lieutenant General (Rtd) Abdul Qadir Baloch said Afghan refugees would voluntarily return to their country by 2015.
Talking to media here on Monday Baloch said the repatriation of Afghan refugees depends on the situation in Afghanistan and that they would happily return to their country if the situation improves.
“We have discussed the issue with the Afghan authorities and a strategy has been formulated so that the Afghan refugees could go back to their country with dignity.”
Baloch added that Pakistan is providing all facilities to over 3,00,000 Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. He complained that NGOs are not providing any relief to the refugees.
Responding to a question about Afghan refugees purchasing property in Pakistan, he said a committee has been formed in this connection and he would lead it. “The committee will make recommendations and actions will be taken to curb such steps.”
Baloch informed that wherever camps of Afghan refugees were set up in the country over $500 million were being spent under RAHA programme.
After the withdrawal of foreign troops in 2014, the law and order situation would deteriorate in Afghanistan that might scare refugees from going back to their homes, said minister.
48 illegal Afghan immigrants arrested
Balochistan Frontier Corps have arrested 48 illegal Afghan immigrants from a passenger bus in Hazarganji area on Monday.
A spokesperson for the paramilitary force said that the Afghans had been arrested for allegedly entering Pakistan without any legal documents. The bus driver has also been arrested.
The alleged illegal immigrants have been handed over to local FIA branch which will initiate legal proceedings against them under the Foreign Act.
COMMENTS (11)
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@Syed: Are you discussing Or debating the issue?looks like you are threatening to fight?This will not help.
These ministers keep lying, if he does not keep his word, we must go visit him with iron rods.
This is a failure of Pakistan govt to not evict these millions of refugees involved in serious crimes from drug smuggling, to murder and kidnapping for ransom. The officials who give them CNC cards and passports should be hanged.
I demand the KPK govt to arrest and deport all Afghans found anywhere, because they are a direct danger and threat to our nation as they are more patriotic towards India.
We dont want them in our country, someone must do something before the people lose their patience and attack the Afghans. We dont want this to happen but if they are not removed, we have no choice but to do something ourselves.
If Pakistan wants to control terrorism, live peacefully and develop. then they must send back Afghan Refugees. If they continue harboring these violent thugs in conspiracy with UNHCR, Pakistan will remain in this state and these will be no improvement. All those who are teaching humanism at cost of others have sufficient resources to shift them to their own countries. Australia which is a continent itself does not allow few hundred illegal refugees, but UN is telling us to harbor 5 million. Shame on all those who are deliberating creating destabilization for their greed and creating refugees problem.
@SHB: I am not stone hearted. I did say they should be repatriated in a HUMANE way. But the facts are, rather than feel love for Pakistan, they have influenced some people in FATA to have hate for Pakistan and owe alliegence to some afhgan warloard. There are millions that are not registered and present a great security risk. Many are illegal economic migrants. They have been a huge destabilising factor in many of the local communities they have settled in. Why did "brotherly" Iran repatriate ALL their afghan refugees almost immediately after the US invaded Afghanistan. Those Afghans re integrated themselves into their country. Lets give the Afghans in Pakistan an opportunity to stand on their feet in their own country. If there are genuine refugees in fear of political persecution or their lives are at risk, I fully agree they should be given refuge and we should be generous, but we can only do so if we survive as a state ourselves. Pakistan is at great risk.
@SHB: Why should Pakistan give Afghan refugees citizenship? Has Iran gave Afghan refugees citizenship? Does every refugee have a right to claim asylum in Pakistan? Pakistan should focus on the needs of its own people instead of migrants from neighbouring countries. Pakistan has yet to recover from the effects of the Soviet invasion when it served as a front line state to free Afghanistan. How much should Pakistan do? The West should take more Afghan refugees because they have social assistance and state khayrat for them. The majority of Afghan refugees in Western countries don't work but live on social assistance or state khayrat after claiming asylum but at least Western countries have resources to house them and pay social welfare. Pakistan has got a minimum aid from the United Nations and now gets nothing. Why should Pakistan continue to bear this burden?
@SHB: I agree with you. Our human decency and religion demands that we show compassion for our less fortunate brothers from Afghanistan. Grant citizenship and aid to those who apply, and as for those who wish to return, facilitate their departure. Granted there are some criminals, but most are refugees escaping persecution and genocide. It is our duty to help them.
@zog: Please don't be stone hearted person. These people have already lived 30 yrs in Pakistan. Their children are born in Pakistan. Put yourself in their shoes and then think like a human being. As for conservatism is concerned, they will change with time.
Just give them Pakistani citizenship and make them legal. They have been living here for the last thirty years. Most of their children are born while their parents were living in Pakistan as refugees. So please , finish their refugees' status.
What repatriation? why would they do that? They are enjoying life in Pakistan, acquiring land, businesses, extorting bhatta, kidnapping for ransom. What is there in Afghanistan for them except war and desolation. Who in his sane mind would opt for that?
Stick to this plan now please Pakistan's security and social fabric is dependent on this. They have brought a very conservative, almost medieval mind set to Pakistan. Their human and dignified return has to be a top priority. They have no love or concern for Pakistan or Pakistanis.