-‘Dignified repatriation’ of refugees is linked to peace in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Donor countries and agencies on Friday vowed full support to the cause of honourable and dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees and lauded Pakistan’s ‘generous hosting’ of millions of Afghan refugees over the past forty years.
The Embassy of United States of America (USA) hosted a meeting of Friends of Solution Strategy for Afghan Refugees (FOSSAR) which was chiefly attended by diplomats, country heads and representatives of 36 donor agencies and countries.
Minister for SAFRON & Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi co-chaired the meeting with US Ambassador Paul Jones.
Addressing the participants, Afridi said that Pakistan is perhaps the only country in the world that has integrated refugees with the mainstream society as per the UN recommendations.
“We are taking steps to ensure redressal of issues faced by the Afghan refugee in camps. Despite being an underdeveloped country, Pakistan has been hosting millions of refugees for forty years,” he said.
Afridi said that peace in Afghanistan is linked with regional and global peace. He said that 85 per cent of the refugees worldwide are being hosted by third world countries.
“Developed nations have to come forward and do their duty to humanity. Honourable and dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees is linked to peace in Afghanistan and world support to Afghanistan. Refugees are suffering and we need to support them,” he said.
Explaining the vision of the new government, Afridi said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision is that Pakistan would go an extra mile to ensure dignity and respect of the Afghan refugees and we would not compromise on their self-respect.
