Afghan refugees are unacceptable in Balochistan and there is no room for an ‘Afghania’ province, said Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Bizenjo on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters here outside parliament, the minister said he does not support Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s suggestion for Afghania province from Afghan border to Attock.
Commenting on the Afghan refugees’ issue, Bizenjo said, “Any census that also counts the Afghan refugees as Balochistan citizens wouldn’t be accepted.”
“Over 1.8 million Afghan refugees have no documents to prove their Pakistani citizenship. There can be no peace without the return of Afghan refugees.
“Afghanistan also wants the return of its citizens. The four million refugees’ return should be ensured as soon as possible,” said the minister.
Other provinces, he said, were free in their choice but Balochistan wasn’t ready to accept these refugees under any condition.
“Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan. They even voted for Karzai and Ashraf Ghani in the past Afghanistan elections.
“There were polling stations set up for them here. These refugees are our brothers and thus respected but they must go back home,” said Bizenjo.
The minister said that the provincial budget was not sufficient to cater to the needs of the Baloch population, “let alone the two million Afghan refugees”.
“The system would break completely in such a scenario.
“I request the Supreme Court and the Government of Pakistan to ensure their honourable return to Afghanistan as soon as possible,” said the minister.
http://nation.com.pk/national/21-Dec-2016/afghan-refugees-unacceptable-in-balochistan-hasil-bizenjo
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