Pakistan’s role as a host must be recognised and all assistance given to ensure a timely, safe and compassionate return for all. PHOTO: INP
Many Afghans have lived here for most or all their lives, have been born, raised and married here, and this is the only home known to them. They must be treated with the empathy and humanity that is deserving for all when forced to move from one home to another. Although Pakistan has hosted Afghans for decades, the harassment of refugees at the hands of the police and other law-enforcement agencies remains a frequent problem, as was witnessed following the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16. The narrative of Afghan refugees should also be included in the public narrative, for many in Pakistan equate the deteriorating law and order problem to the presence of refugees in the country. This is not only a very simplistic explanation but ignores the complex situation that Pakistan is faced with and avoids looking at the problem within. Even if all refugees are sent back by the end of the year, it is safe to say that Pakistan’s law and order problems will not end overnight.
The provincial governments concerned must ensure that there are no forced evacuations from Afghan settlements or arbitrary repatriations. All such moves must be planned, systematic and done through the UNHCR. At the same time, the international community must also support Pakistan as it still hosts the largest refugee population in the world and has done so for the longest period of time. Pakistan’s role as a host must be recognised and all assistance given to ensure a timely, safe and compassionate return for all.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2015.
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@Pakistani: Dear Pakistani, Well over 3 million Muslims do live in the UK, and in some cities the Muslim population is close to half the population. In Australia, the US and other popular destinations it becomes difficult to spot the white person in many suburbs. I currently reside in Australia and when I go shopping it is pleasant, in my view, to see and hear small Indian, Pakistan, Chinese children talking with an Australian accent whilst their mothers talk English, but with overtones of their mother language. When I go for a cup of coffee, or drop into the local Pharmacy or Post Office the people serving me are quite often young Asians who dress and speak exactly like Australians. They have in fact become and are Australians, albeit with a tiny minority not quite fitting in. The bottom line is that if the white Australian do not like it they have to get used to it, and most of them have. I can understand that in Pakistan/Afghanistan there are disparate tribal groups who do not quite fit in, and that like Australia there will be problems, but they do say that the second or third generation usually fit in seamlessly. Best of luck to current Pakistani/Afghanistan residents and I hope they blend in relatively quickly..
How would the UK react if 3 million Afghans turned up and started living there?
How would the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia for that matter?
Has the editor of this article talked to the Pakistanis impacted by the Afghans in KPK and Baluchistan, many of whom are not really refugees at all, or has this article been written long distance?
I fully agree treat them with compassion, humanity and dignity, but is not the situation in Northern Afghanistan (inclduing the deconomic situation and infrastructure) substantially better than in Pakistan. Could they not, in co-ordination with UNHCR be repatriated there, to live in dignity and contribute to the development of their country?
PS I am really tired of Pakistan being an "Islamic Republic" - it was a better more lawful and humane place to live when it was plain old "Pakistan"
"-----Many Afghans have lived here for most or all their lives, have been born, raised and married here, and this is the only home known to them. They must be treated with the empathy and humanity that is deserving for all when forced to move from one home to another. Although Pakistan has hosted Afghans for decades, the harassment of refugees at the hands of the police and other law-enforcement agencies remains a frequent problem----"
"---The provincial governments concerned must ensure that there are no forced evacuations from Afghan settlements or arbitrary repatriations---"
"----all assistance given to ensure a timely, safe and compassionate return for all.--"
Thank you ET !!! After reading this editorial my respect for you has climbed up 100%
COMPASSION is , indeed, needed.
Have we in South Asia forgotten what it means to be homeless, stateless, REFUGEES ?
What Western governments and Western media never mention is that over the last 20 years Islam countries have been treated appallingly, and that due to Western mischief Islamic countries have not been treated well and refugees are between a rock and a hard place with no safe haven anywhere unless they are very lucky. I will not go into detail about the 13 year Western created Afghanistan crisis, or the dreadful way that Libya, Syria and Iraq have been treated, and that the latter three are in such crisis levels that they make Afghanistan look good. I could explain why the West have indulged in their brutality, but it has certainly been going on since Queen Elizabeth 1 and her bunch of robber privateers who she gave Knighthoods to. Those so called brave Knights robbed and butchered throughout the Caribbean and elsewhere. Then the Brits moved on, colonized half the world and continued their looting and killing. Since then the Brits, with US assistance, have declared war on Germany twice, and stolen anything that was not nailed down. After that it was the naughty communists and the world suffered accordingly. The Russians were forgiven and then it became the turn for Islam to be robbed and pillaged. This is ongoing, I do not see any end in sight so the good people in places such as Pakistan and Afghanistan will have to get used to it. Also of course, the Western people are suffering financially because they have to pay for all these dreadful wars. I do not think Islam will kowtow the way Germans and Anglo Saxons do, but if they do I wonder what debauchery the West will think up next?. Whatever they do they will certainly run convincing arguments that it is the other guys fault. In regard to rehabilitating Afghans I would suggest that rehabilitation is vital for repairing the crazed Western mind set.
Pakistan should do the following few steps:
Prepare a flexible Resident Visa Policy for those Afghans who are doing business here in Pakistan either its small, medium or at large level and issue them 2 year visa which must be renew upon expiry.
Amend the 1973 constitution Tax laws and make it possible for foreigners to get National Tax number and ask those Afghans to register their businesses.
collect tax from them and also give them all other rights equal to a Pakistani citizzen except casting vote in elections
if Pak Government follow the above 3 easy steps it will help them to increase government income and Afghans also will live with diginity here in Pakistan.
by the way all other countries following same rules and give citizenship or permanent residence card to foreigners but since 1979 Pakistani bureaucrats and politicians just were not sincere in creation of any policy or law because they all are earning from Afghans and pocketing billion of rupees as bribe therefore they are not interested in making a proper policy or law for dealing with foreigners.
Pakistan is an Islamic state. Muslims from anywhere should be free to come and become a citizen here.