HARIPUR: Minister of State for States and Frontier Regions Shehryar Afridi has said that Pakistan would celebrate year 2019 as forty years of hospitality of Afghan refugees.
Addressing the participants at Afghan refugee camp in Panian district Haripur on Tuesday, Shehryar Afridi said that Pakistan is the only country which has integrated refugees with the mainstream population.
On the occasion, Chief Commissioner Afghan refugees Salim Khan and Abbas Khan, Commissioner were also present.
Panian camp is established since 1980s and around 65,000 Afghan refugees live here.
They have lived here with peace and happiness. Afghan refugees have realized the significance of education but the condition of the schools is poor. The Minister as MoI played a pivotal role in getting Bank accounts of Afghan refugees opened.
The Minister SAFRON said that Pakistan is the biggest host country of refugees and in an era where developed nations are refusing to even accept a single boat of migrants, Pakistan is hosting millions of refugees. Unfortunately past regimes did not raise the Afghan refugees issue but PTI government would address all issues being faced by the Afghan refugees, he added.
Afridi said the relationship between Afghan refugees and Pakistani nation is unprecedented. Despite economic crunch situation and security threats, Pakistan has shared its bread and butter with their Afghan brothers, he added.
The Minister, said that he visited the camp on the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan.”We have shared culture and shared history. Migration is Sunnah. 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees and 0.84 million are ACC card holders. Pakistan is spending heavily on Afghan refugees despite financial crunch situation. The world has backtracked on its commitment on supporting Afghan refugees,” he added.
Haibat Shah, a leader of Afghan refugees said that it’s an irony that we are refugees in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan as we are not being accepted back in Afghanistan.”We have an identity crisis and we are aliens everywhere. When we are arrested, our bail is not allowed. We should be allowed bail. PTI government has addressed issues being faced by refugees considerably, “he added.
On the occasion, traditional Afghan Turban was gifted to the Minister SAFRON.
