- Sindh CM says if KP can demand repatriation of Afghan refugees, Sindh can too
- UNHCR chief in Pakistan warns against confusing Afghan refugees with ‘illegal migrants’
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh government Tuesday demanded the federal government “immediately” repatriate thousands of unregistered Afghan refugees living illegally in violence-hit Karachi to their country of origin.
Haunted by the carnage at Peshawar’s ArmyPublic School, the provincial government’s demand came in the backdrop of stringent measures it has planned to make foolproof security arrangements for the events related to Wednesday’s Eid Miladun Nabi (SAW) processions and New Year celebrations in the city.
However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reminded the Sindh government of the SAFRON minister having publically stated that “there is no evidence of any Afghan refugee being connected with the heinous terrorist attack on the PeshawarArmySchool”.
“UNHCR urges provincial authorities to closely coordinate with SAFRON and the federal government regarding return of Afghans, as issues relating to Afghan registered refugees and undocumented Afghans are the subject of one of the committees formed under the national action plan on terrorism,” Maya Ameratunga, UNHCR’s country representative in Pakistan, told Pakistan Today on Tuesday.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah convened a high-level meeting at CM House in Karachi to review security arrangements for the annual events with special focus being on the city’s educational institutions.
In the meeting, the provincial authorities have estimated the number of Milad related processions at 251, seven of them big thus important ones.
Also, they expect thousands of young Karachiites to throng the city’s major thoroughfares, specially the seaview, for the New Year gala this night.
“Effective SOPs be devised for the security of all private and public schools after Peshawar incident,” Information Minister Sharjeel Memon told the meeting.
To prevent an untoward situation, the provincial education department Tuesday extended winter vacations for the city’s educational institutions till Jan 10.
The meeting decided to deploy at least 30,000 law enforcement personnel while more than 7,000 others would monitor law and order at New Year night.
Besides banning pillion riding, the provincial government would not allow celebrations in public, especially aerial firing. All the concerned agencies have been put on high alert.
During the meeting, the chief minister observed that the KP government had demanded the repatriation of Afghan refugees living on Pak-Afghan border.
Shah directed the provincial home secretary to take up the issue with the federal government in the next meeting in Islamabad.
“If they can do this, we too demand the immediate repatriation of 0.9 million Afghan refugees who are living illegally in Karachi,” the chief minister said.
Responding to the chief minister’s statement, UNHCR chief in Pakistan Maya warned against confusing Afghan refugees with the “illegal migrants”.
“It is essential to distinguish between registered Afghan refugees, who are protected under international law and under the government’s national refugee policy, and undocumented Afghans who are considered as illegal migrants and do not have a protected status either under international law or government policy,” she told Pakistan Today.
However, the UNHCR official said, “If there were any individuals among the undocumented Afghans who had a well-founded fear of persecution in Afghanistan in accordance with the definition of a refugee in the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, they should be referred to UNHCR, who would assess whether they should be recognised as refugees.”
“UNHCR is willing to work with the government in assessing such individual cases, although undocumented Afghans generally do not come within our mandate,” she said.
“All Afghans, whether they are refugees or undocumented migrants, are subject to the laws of Pakistan,” she maintained.
Of the 1.5 million registered Afghan refugees, some 67,000 are based in Sindh province which, UNHCR officials say, also hosts a couple of hundreds refugees from Somalia.