The United Nations Thursday expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s extension of stay for registered Afghan refugees on its soil until December 31, 2016, and said their repatriation to Afghanistan should be governed by international laws.
“We are thankful to the government and people of Pakistan for their generosity in hosting the Afghan refugees for such a long time,” UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarris said.
Pakistan has the world’s second largest refugee population, with more than 1.5 million registered, and about a million unregistered, refugees from Afghanistan. The majority of Afghan refugees fled the Soviet occupation of their country in the 1980s, and have not returned to neighboring Afghanistan, which remains conflict-torn since 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The number of Afghans voluntarily returning home has plunged this year as violence worsens in Afghanistan, where the government and its U.S. allies are fighting a tough Taliban insurgency.
The spokesman said that refugees cannot be forced to return to their homeland under the international humanitarian laws, and that Afghan refugees should be repatriated in safety and with dignity.
Recently, Pakistani Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi urged the international community to prioritize the issue of Afghan refugees and help Pakistan and Afghanistan in their repatriation and resettlement in an honorable and sustainable manner.
The Pakistani envoy also called on the global community to better appreciate Pakistan’s hospitality and its challenges in hosting the most protracted presence of refugees anywhere in the world.
Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
