Islamabad, 20 June 2022 (TDI): On International Day for refugees, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has called on International Community to support UNHCR in its efforts to support refugees.
Refugees are the worst victims of wars & conflicts as well as poverty & economic inequality. From Syria to Palestine to Afghanistan, their plight calls for renewed policy focus & resources. World should help developing countries who continue to host large number of refugees.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 20, 2022
He urged the international community to support the developing countries that have been hosting a large number of refugees.
In his tweet, Prime Minister Sharif mentioned that refugees are the product of war, conflict, and lingering poverty and economic inequalities in third-world states.
He mentioned that from Palestine to Syria and Afghanistan, their dilemma calls for renewed policy measures and resource distribution.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office Spokesperson, Asim Iftekhar also issued a statement.
Highlighting the miseries of Afghan Refugees, he said that International Commitment and durable solutions are the dire need of the hour. Afghan refugees need financial support and efforts for their safe and dignified return.
According to Iftekhar, the international community must support the country in adopting necessary measures to tackle any future possibility of the refugee exodus from Afghanistan, for its stability and sustainability of socio-economic development.
He concluded his remarks by paying tribute to the UN refugee agency for its commendable efforts and support for refugees. Furthermore, he expressed Pakistan’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with the agency.
UN Statistics on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan
As per a recent UN report nearly 1.4 million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan. Since the regime change in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans have fled their country and resided in neighboring countries.
Since 2018, Pakistan has collaborated with UNHCR to provide health and education services, issued them identity cards to safeguard their interests, and strengthened the social cohesion between refugees and host communities.
Pakistan Stance on Afghan Refugees
Since the Taliban takeover, Pakistan has resisted hosting more Afghan refugees as the country has been hosting one of the world’s largest and oldest refugee populations. This has also restrained the already troubled economy of Pakistan.
However, according to some national reports, more than 300,000 Afghans have entered Pakistan and around 100,000 of them came using their valid visas but the rest crossed the border illegally.
