Members of Afghan Refugees Council have voiced concern over issuance of the fresh one-month deadline for voluntarily repatriation of Afghans nationals, living in camps and other parts of the country and urged the government to ensure return to their homeland as per earlier agreement and dignified manner.
Speaking at a news conference at press club here on Monday, the Afghan Refugees Council president, Abdul Ghaffar Shinwari said that Pakistani government had asked the Afghans people to windup their businesses and return to Afghanistan till January 31, which has created great unrest among them.
He said that it was quit difficult to wrap up businesses and investment of billions of rupees within one-month. He said that Afghan businessmen are regularly payout taxes to government of Pakistan, while they had also provided job opportunities to locals as well. He asked the authorities to devise a proper mechanism for return of their outstanding dues with the business partners and local people.
Flanked by the council members, Malik Zerahullah, Hibaat Shah, Malik Umar, Malik Zeebullah, Malik Sahab Ali Shah, Haji Faqir and others, he complained the Afghans factors are forcibly shut in different parts of the province, while police have started harassing the Afghans Refugees after the fresh the deadline of their return, issued by Ministry of Safron.
Shinwari said the Afghan Refugees are willing to return their hometown but in dignified manner. He praised the Pakistani government for hosting Afghans for last several decades. He said the people and government of Pakistan have given them respect and unprecedented hospitality during the past three decades. Pakistan has been providing them every sort of facilities including education and health services, he added.
"The people and government of Afghanistan should respect Pakistan for hosting millions of refugees for more than 30 years," Shinwari remarked. But, he said that Afghan Refugees should not target due to ongoing restrain relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He urged the Pakistan and Afghanistan Governments, and UNHCR to fully abide with agreement about the voluntarily return of Afghan Refugees from the country. He said the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan was not in interest of regional peace.
The council president said the Afghan Refugees head in Pakistan should play his due role to cementing relations between the two neighboring countries and take proactive measures for resolution of Afghan Refugees issues.
Hibaat Shah said that the Pakistani government fresh deadline for Afghan Refugees was reprisal of US President Donald Trump's statement against Pakistan. As per agreement, he said the Afghan Refugees had allowed staying in Pakistan till December 2018. He feared that the new policy would affect the business and trade relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was detrimental for economy of the both countries. He accused the provincial police didn't accept Afghan Refugees cards after the issuance of the fresh deadline their return by the government. He urged the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak and IGP Salahuddin Meshud to take action against police officials for harassing Afghans Refugees.
Malik Umar said that the Afghan Refugees should not punish on behest of new policies by the both Pakistan and Afghanistan governments. He said they can not forget the hospitability to Afghan Refugees during their prolonged stay in the Pakistan, but, he said to ensure their return hometown in a dignified manner.
Abdul Ghaffar said that the Federal Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) had allowed through a letter to Afghans Refugees to stay till December 2018. He warned that if the government didn't follow the agreement, then they would not be left any other option, to move the court against the unilateral decision of the authorities concerned.
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