Pakistan urges world to contribute in repatriation of Afghan refugees

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Shehryar Khan Afridi urged the global community to play its due role in the process of repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland, Radio Pakistan reported. 

Addressing a briefing at the ministry of SAFRON, he said “it is an irony that Pakistan has been hosting around four million Afghan refugees for the past four decades but the world is not ready to share its burden.”

The minister said despite the recent financial crisis, Pakistan is putting up efforts to facilitate Afghan refugees.

In this regard, the government is working on ‘Refugee Policy’ which would be unveiled soon, he shared.

Afridi vowed during his speech that he would work with all organizations to help repatriate the Afghan refugees.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry of SAFRON would also play a proactive role in merger of tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all pertaining issues would be addressed.

Earlier in February, Prime Minister Imran Khan had issued directives for the opening of bank accounts of the Afghan refugees, who are registered in the country.

In his tweet, the PM had said: “I have issued instructions today that Afghan refugees who are registered can open bank accounts and from now onwards they can participate in the formal economy of the country.” “This should have been done a long time ago,” the PM continued in his message.

In his maiden visit to Karachi on September 18, 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced that Afghans and Bengalis living in the country for many decades would be issued National Identity Cards and passports, which would effectively make them formal citizens of Pakistan.