Research report on 'legal environment in Pakistan for registered Afghans' launched

Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) on Friday launched research report, The Legal Environment in Pakistan for Registered Afghans. The research was conducted with financial support from the German Foreign Office and technical assistance from the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany.
The report deals with the legal status of registered Afghans that has changed over time in Pakistan and examines how Afghan citizens have approached the Pakistan legal system in the absence of refugee law, and what impact this local law has had on their lives as non-citizens.
"There are several issues in contention between Pakistan and Afghanistan and in order for peace to prevail in the region, the German Embassy wishes to promote and support such qualitative and quantitative research initiatives," said Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy, Stephen Roken on Friday while addressing a gathering at the launch ceremony.
Muhammad Bhehzad Khan, Principal Researcher and Trainer for the Rule of Law Programme's Refugee Law component, and author of the report explained the need for the research. He said that current practices, as related to the Afghan citizens, are both oppressive and inhumane.
He also said that at present material published or researched regarding the Refugees in Pakistan is a lot less than there was 5 or 10 years ago. Bhehzad presented a series of recommendations, which will help alleviate some of the problems faced by the Afghans: The report said that a national legal and administrative framework for the protection of asylum seekers and refugees should be supported and implemented.
I/NGOs which provide legal assistance and protection to registered Afghans should encourage the GoP to give adequate consideration to the situation of registered Afghans in its state reports under all international human rights treaties, and they should actively contribute to existing NGO shadow reports prepared by civil society groups under those treaties.
The Government of Pakistan should recognise Proof of Registration cards, as valid identity documents for the purposes of engaging in transactions, which require identity documents. The Government of Pakistan should strengthen institutional mechanisms for dissemination of information on policy changes with respect to registered Afghans. Mainstream Pakistani NGOs should be engaged on Afghan issues.
Zaheer ul Islam, Commissioner Afghan Refugees KPK, spoke at the occasion and expressed the government's commitment towards helping out the Afghan Refugees. He criticised the International community for 'not doing enough' for the cause and urged them to support local and government initiatives designed to improve the living conditions for Afghan brothers.
Human rights activist and Member Planning Commission, Dr Saba Gul Khattak, congratulated CAMP for an excellent report and emphasised the importance of looking at the issue from a historical and political perspective to understand the context of the issue. She said that while the fact that registered Afghans do not enjoy all the rights and privileges available to other Pakistanis is unfortunate - there are other categories within Pakistan such as women who also suffer from similar limitations. She said that Pakistanis should be given credit for hosting the Afghans with an open heart and initiating a voluntary repatriation programme.
The Chief Guest at the occasion, Habib Ullah Khan Khattak, Secretary Ministry of SAFRON, said that the Afghan Refugee issue is of paramount importance, as it is not just a human rights issue but also a national security issue for the government of Pakistan.
He said that it was extremely important to restore peace in Afghanistan, so when the Afghans return to their native soil they do not face any problems. Habib Ullah also mentioned that the unrest prevalent in Afghanistan is not solely Pakistan's responsibility rather a large share of the blame rests with the International community, which must work towards restoring peace in the region as well.
Chief Executive of Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme, Naveed Ahmad Shinwari, thanked all the participants, especially the German Embassy for its assistance and Muhammad Bhehzad Khan for his excellent research and report. He said that CAMP's ongoing mission is to strive for the betterment of the people of underprivileged communities, whether local residents or refugees and hopes that the report will help the government and the private sector to address the problems and concerns felt by registered and legal Afghan Refugees living in Pakistan.