Pakistan Supports Safe, Dignified Return of Afghan Refugees to Homeland: Nawaz Sharif

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Monday underscored the need for addressing the root causes of ongoing large-scale displacement and forced migration to ensure that the people fleeing their homes do not become victims of xenophobic attitudes and political expediency.

“Unless we resolutely put out the fires that have caused so much suffering, we will not be able to find a long-term solution to this crisis,” he told the UN General Assembly’s first-ever Summit for Refugees and Migrants.

“We are meeting at a critical juncture, with the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes, reaching a record high and human suffering at an unprecedented level,” the prime minister told heads of state/government and high-level representatives in the spacious Assembly hall.

For nearly four decades, he told the 193-member Assembly that Pakistan had served as a generous host to millions of Afghan refugees, the largest protracted refugee situation in the world.

“Despite our modest resources, the people of Pakistan opened their hearts to their Afghan brothers and sisters,” Nawaz Sharif said, pointing out that the current Afghan refugees totalled 2.5 million.

“While financial support from the international community has waned, Pakistan’s hospitality has not,” he said.

“Pakistan supports the safe and dignified return of all Afghan refugees to their homeland, in a sustainable manner.

“We count on the active support of our Afghan brothers and international partners in creating a conducive environment, to achieve this outcome.

“We hope that the international community will step forward and provide necessary resources to UNHCR in a timely manner, to support the sustainable return and reintegration of the Afghan refugees.”

But Afghan Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation criticized Pakistan’s recent reaction against Afghan refugees; calling its action is not acceptable.

“Any repatriation must be voluntary, safe and dignified. But Pakistan’s recent action is not acceptable,” said Eslamuddin Jorat, spokesman of ministry of refugee and repatriation.

A number of Afghan civil society institutions expressed concerns over Paksitan’s recent measures against Afghan refugees.

“Pakistan uses the refugee issue as a pressure points against the Afghan government. Pakistan now lost its trust to United States and Europe,” said Sayeed Ahmad Ahmadi, civil activist.

This comes as that the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation says nearly six thousand refugees from Iran and Pakistan return to their country every day.