Afghan Refuguees

ACCOMMODATED on sufferance here and little to return to there that, in essence, is the plight of hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees who were forced by war to start fleeing their country over three decades ago. The face of the aggressor may have changed but Afghanistan is still a country with a far from certain future; when the guns fall silent, it will have to rebuild itself from the bottom up. Refugees the third generation of whom are now growing up in Pakistan recognise this.

For humanitarian reasons alone, it would be more problematic for Pakistan to try and force refugees to return, rather than carve out avenues, in partnership with other stakeholders such as the Afghan government and UNHCR, to create incentives for voluntary repatriation as has been the case in the past.

Yet the influx of such a massive number of people has not been easy for Pakistan to deal with either, particularly theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Its frustration is evident in the statement, issued on Thursday by the provincial home and tribal affairs department, that Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration cards must wind up their activities by the end of the year, after which they will be required to leave the country.

The provincial government has already asked undocumented Afghans to leave, and empowered the police to arrest illegal Afghans under the Foreigners Act, 1946, for deportation. While this is a seemingly extreme step, thefactis that the issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is of such long standing that it seems to have slipped off the world`s radar. But the world cannot be absolved of its responsibility, and has an ethical responsibility to play its part in resolving this protracted crisis. Where Pakistan has been doing what it can, surely the international community can play a greater role.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Its frustration is evident in the statement, issued on Thursday by the provincial home and tribal affairs department, that Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration cards must wind up their activities by the end of the year, after which they will be required to leave the country