This time around the federal government has shown a bit of seriousness to repatriate millions of Afghan Refugees to their homeland. The incumbent federal minister for SAFRON, Abdul Qadir Baloch has all along remained unwilling to send them back to Afghanistan. Mahmud Khan Achakzai, Chief of Pk MAP, who is the ideological buddy of Nawaz Sharif, is totally averse to their repatriation. But at last voices of sanity in the federal government prevailed which raises hope for solving the refugee issue without further delay.
A senior official of the Ministry of SAFRON told a private TV Channel that the deadline set for the stay of Afghan Refugees will not be extended beyond 31st January and they have to return to the country of their origin, Afghanistan. Chief Commissioner Afghan Refugees, Saleem Khan told that an emergency repatriation plan will be prepared for implementation with the assistance of all stakeholders. It is pertinent to mention that Ministry of SAFRON recommended an extension of one year in the stay of registered Afghan Refugees but the National Security Committee decided that one year extension can not be granted.
The Afghan government has also given a positive signal to welcome back its national who has been living in Pakistan for over 40 years. Addressing a Jirga of Afghan Refugees, Afghanistan Ambassador, Umer Zakhelwal urged them to make preparations for return to their original abode. This is a pleasant development rather surprise because in the past Mr. Zakhelwal used to request the government of Pakistan not to send the refugees back as the situation in Afghanistan is not conducive for their return. In a sarcastic vein, he said if the Afghans could bring greenery and prosperity to the barren lands in Pakistan then there seems no reason that they can not reconstruct their motherland and Afghanistan is the identity of all citizens. However, he lambasted the Afghanistan government for not providing humanitarian relief and assistance to the returning refugees.
The process of Afghan Refugees repatriation plan always hit snags because of multiple factors. Initially, Afghan Refugees strongly resisted this process in 2003 but the then federal minister Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind convinced their elders that guests have to ultimately go back home and their home journey process started. However, most of the Afghan families managed to re-enter into Pakistan taking advantage of the porous Pak-Afghan border. The previous PPP government never showed firm resolve of refugee repatriation. The incumbent PML-N government was also not that enthusiastic in this matter even after the gig human tragedy of Army Public School Peshawar. Even the demands of the KP government for either expulsion or registration of non-registered refugees were not considered favorably. The provincial government was instructed to stop the arrest of unregistered refugees and assured their early registration which did not materialize. The UNHCR faced financial stringency because of donors’ fatigue. Now that the federal government is not extending the period of stay of Afghan Refugees, the international community should be persuaded to give liberal donations to the UNHCR for the smooth and speedy repatriation of Afghan refugees. The early it is done the better it will be. Point number 19 of the National Action Plan emphasizes this issue to avert the incidents of terrorism.
