Sindh demands camps for Afghan refugees in Punjab, KP

KARACHI: Refusing to host more Afghan refugees, the Sindh government has demanded of the federal government to establish camps for them in Punjab, KP and erstwhile FATA.

Sindh Minister for Agriculture, Ismail Rahu in his statement said Afghan nationals can migrate to Pakistan after a possible civil war in the country as the departure of US forces has begun.

The border with Afghanistan should be sealed to stop the influx of Afghan refugees and camps should be established in Punjab, KP and the erstwhile FATA.

“Sindh especially Karachi is already facing population problems and cannot host more refugees as they also pose law and order threat.”

Rahu further alleged that the province is already facing a financial crunch due to the non-delivery of funds from the federal government and in this context, we will not be able to host more refugees, he added.

On Sunday, National Security Adviser, Moeed Yusuf had said that Pakistan has constantly been flagging for the world the concern that “millions of law abiding Afghan refugees are given a bad name and Pakistan is blamed when these actors go and hide in these refugee settlements and then Pakistan is questioned on why one or two or five people who were miscreants, who were terrorists could not be apprehended”.

Yusuf had said that Pakistan reminds the world “of their duty to find a way for a dignified return of Afghan refugees and then questions may be asked”.