By Mitra Majeedy in TOLOnews Online, Oct 09, 2023 at 7:56 PM
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, at an inaugural event for the start of an air corridor, emphasized the need for interaction between the current government and neighboring countries and said that the Islamic Emirate wants a positive interaction with neighboring countries.
He added that he does not consider disrespect for Afghan refugees in Pakistan acceptable.
“They disrespect the migrants, this is unacceptable to any Afghan, and they must think for themselves and measure the future,” Baradar said.
Also, the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate in Islamabad met with the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Philippa Candler, to address the problems of Afghan citizens in Pakistan.
On X, the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan, said the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed concern over the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and pledged that she would discuss the situation of migrants at the upcoming meeting of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva.
The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad said on X: “At the meeting, she expressed concern for Afghanistan over the increased pressure and hasty deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. She stressed that there are numerous reports that not only Afghan nationals without residence papers, but also holders of valid immigration cards have been detained, humiliated, harassed and ill-treated. Ms. Candler, the new representative of UNHCR Pakistan acknowledged the challenges of Afghan refugees following the decision by the Pakistani government to deport them and appreciated the Afghan ambassador’s efforts and concerns.”
The leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat-ul-Ulama Party also criticized Pakistan’s handling of Afghan refugees.
“There has been war there for forty years, and now there is peace, the government that governs there, if you consider it to be your standard, It has to be as responsible as I am responsible, it takes some time to do that. And then our democracy, our police officers, attack them and take their land in advance and the other person gets their money. Is this human rights?” said Maulana Fazl ur-Rahman, the leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat-ul-Ulama Party.
The commission appointed to address the situation of migrants forced to return to the country met with the provincial governor on a visit to Kandahar and discussed ways to help the migrants.
“The refugees who do not have caretaker and do not have any male member in their family, the preparations are underway to take care of them, and in Nangarhar and some other provinces, the aid of NGOs is also being used to help the migrants, and we want the international aid providers to cooperate with the migrants in Afghanistan,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.
Concerns over the plight of Afghan migrants in Pakistan have grown as Pakistan’s interior minister previously said more than a million migrants, including Afghan citizens, would be deported from the country within a month.
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185456
