Members of parliament and United Nations Human Rights Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) have denied the media reports that 1.7 million Afghan refugees would be expelled from Pakistan by end of this year.
Talking to Voice of America (VOA), UNHCR Spokesman Aslam Khan termed such reports as baseless, saying Pakistan had no intention to oust the Afghan refugees by the end of 2012. He said Pakistan was bound to fulfil its obligation, adding that the Afghan refugees possessing registration cards would not be displaced by force until they were ready to go back to Afghanistan voluntarily. He said the war-torn Afghanistan was not in a position to afford the burden of 1.7 million Afghan refugees at this stage.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region Shaukatullah said that all registered Afghan refugees, willing to go back to their homes voluntarily, would be repatriated by end of this year. “All registered Afghan refugees who are voluntarily desirous will be allowed to go back to their homes in Afghanistan.”
Talking to VOA, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Afrasiyab Khan Khattak said that Afghan refugees are undoubtedly a burden on Pakistan in view of the present economic situation, but these people are living in Pakistan due to their certain compulsions, therefore, he would not support their forced expulsion from the country. He said that forced expulsion of Afghan refugees might affect bilateral relations of both the countries. Khattak said the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan should evolve a joint strategy for the return of Afghan refugees.
Dunya Aslam Khan, UNHCR’s spokesman in Pakistan, said the return of Afghan refugees should be on voluntary basis. She said those refugees who were living illegally might be expelled from Pakistan. She said the UNHCR contacted the government officials to verify the media reports. She said Pakistan had made a commitment to the UNHCR country director that no recognised Afghan refugee would be deported from Pakistan.
