Afghan refugees, residing in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have demanded of the government to give further extension in their legal residency status period. They also urged steps should be taken to resolve their problems amicably before their repatriation to their home country.
The demand was made by elders Hayatullah Haji Arsala Khan, Haji Sherzada, Qari Mehmood Shah, Muhammad Saed Hashmi and others during an Afghan refugees’ grand jirga held at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday. The jirga also discussed the problem faced by registered Afghan refugees elsewhere in the province.
Arsala Khan said the Afghan refugees have expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan for their prolonged stay in the country, and ensured the provision of education, health, and other facilities to them, along with giving opportunities to make investment and business.
However, he stressed that after being deprived of their rights for around 40 years now, his compatriots wanted nothing more than to return to Afghanistan with dignity. He also pointed out that for refugees who had built livelihoods and businesses in Pakistan; it would not be possible to shift their entire setup in one go.
Sherzada noted wryly that debtors who knew Afghan refugees had until the end of this year to leave the country “have stopped taking our calls”, while creditors “are hounding us” and demanded both the countries to form a body that would address financial disputes between citizens on both sides of the border.
According to UN report, Arsala Khan said around 1.5 million people had become homeless due to prolonged war in neighbouring Afghanistan. He wondered whether Afghanistan would be able to absorb the huge population of returning refugees if they all went back within the stipulated timeframe, i.e. before the end.
He further viewed that no proper health, education, and job facilities were available under the prevailing circumstances of Afghanistan. He called upon both Islamabad and Kabul to create a conducive environment for the return of Afghan refugees.
He said Afghan refugee camps are not sanctuaries of terrorists, but they had resided there for decades in a peaceful manner, and contributed towards development and progress of Pakistan.
He urged the government of Pakistan to give more extension in registered Afghan refugees’ proof of residency (PoR) cards to settle their issues and business deals with Pakistani compatriots. He further asked that the repatriation process should be initiated after the return of complete normalcy and stability in Afghanistan.
