In recent months, the Afghan refugee population in Pakistan have been made to feel unwelcome. We only extend the deadline till which refugees are allowed to stay in Pakistan by a few months a time so as to leave them in a state of permanent insecurity. Politicians frequently scapegoat Afghan refugees for our crime, drugs and gun problems. And then Sharbat Bibi, who became the face of Afghan refugees when she was featured on the cover of National Geographic back in 1984, was arrested by the FIA for allegedly possessing a forged ID card. Reportedly, Sartaj Aziz has assured the Afghanistan ambassador that she would be released and she has her first court hearing scheduled for November 1 so that matter should be settled soon at least. The truth is that Afghan refugees who have been here for decades are left with little option but to pay bribes to get identification since we have denied them the right to ID cards. Sharbat Bibi now symbolises not only the initial suffering of those who were displaced by war in Afghanistan but the ravages of having to get by in a country that is now unable or willing to help these refugees get by. The closure of the border at Torkham for a few days in the summer and our insistence on building a gate have greatly inconvenienced Afghans who either live in Pakistan or come to work here. The result has been a mass exodus of Afghans from Pakistan, with an estimated 170,000 having left through the Torkham border crossing alone. In total, more than half a million refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran this year. Now, the Afghan government and aid agencies are struggling to cope with the influx of refugees. For many of the refugees, Pakistan or Iran are the only home they’ve known for most of their lives. They have no homes in Afghanistan and need to seek shelter in temporary camps provided by the UN. The UN has asked for $150 million to look after these refugees but has only been able to raise less than $50 million. That simply is not going to be enough to look after so many people.
Winter is fast approaching and the temperature can drop to below freezing in Kabul and the western part of the country. That will only increase the cost of resettling the refugees. It is now time for the international community to step up and help the people who were displaced from their home country, especially by countries like the US and Russia which were chiefly responsible for displacing them in the first place. We should also cease the campaign of harassment against refugees. Making their lives so miserable in Pakistan so that they are forced into leaving is inhumane, even more so because we played a large role in creating the refugees too. Afghan refugees in Pakistan have jobs and family here and they should be allowed to be productive members of society instead of being shunned. Afghanistan’s neighbours have a duty to take care of the refugees until they are truly able to return. Afghanistan itself has an equal responsibility to ensure the country these refugees return to is one which can reintegrate them. The onus should be on Afghanistan and all these countries who have involved themselves there – a list that includes not only Pakistan but the US, the EU, India and the Gulf States – to provide returning refugees a home which is safe and peaceful. Pakistan should not expel refugees so long as war ravages in Afghanistan but Afghanistan too needs to work even harder to end this war. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/161164-Nowhere-to-go
PAK SCENE- ARMY/POLICE
50pc increase in FC salaries recommended,summary sent to PM
Report in The News, Oct 31, 2016
ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has recommended 50 percent increase in the salaries of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and a summary in this regard has been sent to the PM. Sources said that in line with directives of the Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, the ministry officials prepared a summary recommending 50 percent increase in the stipend of the FC personnel.
Meanwhile, service tenure of FC personnel has also been increased from 35 to 45 years with an increase of 10 years. Special duty allowance has also been approved for the FC. After approval, monthly stipend of FC personnel would be raised to Rs30,000 from the existing Rs17,000.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/161267-50pc-increase-in-FC-salaries-recommendedsummary-sent-to-PM
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