The Refugee Affairs Attache of the Afghan Republic met with Muhammad Abbas Khan, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees in Islamabad, over some serious issues on Afghan nationals in Pakistan.
These issues include alleged recent incidents of harassment, detention, and incidents of terrorism against Afghan refugees. The Afghan diplomat stressed the principles of fair treatment and protection for refugees and stated that he was worried about such occurrences.
To this, the Chief Commissioner stated that these accusations would be taken off the record and preventive measures would be established to avert such happenings in the future. These were discussions about further measures regarding Afghan refugee’s welfare and safety.
The Afghan diplomat stressed adherence to international principles regarding refugees’ protection while highlighting the need for teamwork to increase trust and address matters through meaningful discussion. The Chief Commissioner reiterated these commitments by Pakistan and elaborated on the principled and reasonable approach towards refugee-related situations.
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Unlike many countries with many refugees, which experience either violence or civil conflict, Pakistan has had little in the way of violence between Afghans or other refugees and the local population due to fairly broad internal movement. There is no outright barring for Afghanis to work, and they can progress through different avenues enjoying their freedom.
Pakistan has been home to millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, making it one of the largest host countries in the world. Currently, Pakistan has about 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees along with a huge number of undocumented residents.
The Afghan Attaché and Chief Commissioner underscored the importance of improving coordination between Pakistani officials and Afghan representatives. The two sides further expressed hope for improved mechanisms in ensuring dimensions of refugee care according to Pakistan’s legal frameworks and humanitarian duties towards the brethren.