Pakistan hosting Afghan refugees despite facing economic challenges: PM

GENEVA: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Tuesday Pakistan is still hosting three million Afghan refugees despite being a state that is facing severe economic challenges including poverty and uemployment.

PM Imran Khan, while addressing the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, said Pakistan is proud of hosting Afghan refugees for more than 40 years. He praised the Switzerland government and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) over organising first Global Refugee Forum.

The premier has also congratulated Turkish president over giving asylum to the highest number of refugees.

Prime Minsiter Imran Khan said that Pakistan is facing various challenges including poverty and unemployment. He urged for the formulation of effective plans which could end risks for people from being displaced around the world. He added that Islamabad is making all-out efforts for the success of the Afghanistan reconciliation process for the establishment of peace.

Read: PM Imran Khan lands in Geneva to co-convene Global Refugee Forum

While highlighting the miseries of Kashmiris, Imran Khan said India had sieged the occupied Jammu and Kashmir on August 15 and imprisoned more than 8 million people besides imposing restrictions on internet and all means of communication. New Delhi has prepared plan to convert Muslim majority into a minority in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK), he added.

The premier demanded the international community to take notice of the inhumane curfew in IOJK.

He urged the world to pressurise India in order to end the humanitarian crisis as precaution is better than cure. Imran Khan also added that Pakistan is not only worried for the refugees but also for the risks to global peace amid tensed situation between two states possessing nuclear power.

Read: Afghan refugees can now open bank accounts, PM Khan announces

PM Imran Khan also criticised the controversial citizenship bill, saying that Muslims are in majority in India’s Assam state, who had been asked to give proofs for their citizenship. He added that the controversial law had been brought to award citizenship to all people except Muslims.

“We need to bring this into consideration that the Muslim population in Pakistan is 200 million. What would be the impact on them after the controversial legislation in a neighbouring state?”

“It will be difficult to overcome the expected crisis. The international community must pay attention to the grave situation there as whatever happening in the neighbouring state will leave impacts on Pakistan as well. Our national resources cannot allow us to bear the burden of more refugees. Rich states couldn’t understand the sensitivity of issues of powerless and resourceless refugees,” Imran Khan also warned about the severe consequences.

Global Refugee Forum

A three-day global gathering aimed at transforming the way the world responds to refugee situations commenced in Geneva, Switzerland on December 16, a media statement of UNHCR read.

The first-ever Global Refugee Forum brings together refugees, heads of state and government, UN leaders, international institutions, development organizations, business leaders and civil society representatives, among others, at the Palais des Nations, the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

UNHCR is co-hosting the Forum together with Switzerland, and it is being co-convened by Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Germany, Pakistan, and Turkey.

The aim of the Forum is to generate new approaches and long-term commitments from a variety of actors to help refugees and the communities in which they live. Worldwide, over 70 million people are displaced by war, conflict, and persecution.

Read: Pakistan urges world to contribute in repatriation of Afghan refugees

More than 25 million of them are refugees, having fled across international borders and unable to return to their homes.

The three days of discussions, special events, and high-level dialogues in Geneva will focus on six key areas: arrangements for burden and responsibility sharing; education; jobs and livelihoods; energy and infrastructure; solutions; and protection capacity. There will be many opportunities for sharing a number of initiatives and good practices demonstrating how the Global Compact on Refugees can make a difference..

The Forum will also examine how humanitarian and development responses can complement one another. Additionally, in a sign of the increasingly important role of the private sector, more than 100 companies and foundations are attending and are set to make pledges around jobs, finance and other assistance.