Afghan Refugees should not be made Prey of Inter-State Politics

Recently Afghan refugees in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have faced severe restrictions and discrimination. Unfairly targeted by the local police, their dwelling are demolished and they are targeted for bribes during their travels.

 

Afghan refugees – whom have been dwelling in various parts of Pakistan for the past four decades – live normal lives in their adopted home and no substantial evidence has yet been forwarded to prove that they play a role in the instability plaguing Pakistan. According to Rustom Shah Mohmand – famous Pakistani diplomat and former ambassador to Afghanistan – Afghans don’t even have 1 per cent role in the instability of Pakistan.

 

Afghan refugees in Pakistan struggle with meeting their basic needs and usually spend their lives striving to feed their families and thus play no role in criminal or subservient activities. They have played a positive role in the economic and agricultural sectors of Pakistan. Not only do the ordinary people of Pakistan and these refugees get along amicably but rather many have intermarried with their host nation. Their inter-relations breeds an atmosphere of brotherhood and mutual sympathy.

 

It is also worth noting that the Afghan refugees share mutual religious, cultural, linguistic and historical ties with their hosts which has brought the two nations even closer and empathic to one another.

 

The Islamic Emirate recently issued an official statement praising Pakistan for harboring Afghan refugees for the past 38 years. The Islamic Emirate called on Pakistan that until these refugees can find shelter and basic necessities of life, and until the barbaric foreign occupation ends, Pakistan should shun from compulsively deporting these refugees.

 

Similarly the Islamic Emirate has always striven to educate the two people that they should not be deceived by the warmongering of those that seek to destroy the historical brotherhood of the two nations and replace it with mutual hatred and distrust.

 

Pakistan should not use the deportation of Afghan refugees as leverage to advance their policies. They should consider the poverty and recourselessness of these refugees. They should treat these refugees with a spirit of humanitarian and Islamic brotherhood.

 

Once the situation in Afghanistan stabilizes the initial step of these refugees will be to return back to their country. Therefore the Afghan refugees call on the Pakistani authorities to stop the ongoing discrimination against them, let them strive for their daily needs, and not needlessly sacrifice them in arena of inter-state politics.