Afghan refugees will get extension to stay in Pakistan if needed, says KPK Governor
Peshawar, Pakistan: “Pakistan shall not send Afghan refugees back to home by force and extension for their stay in Pakistan will be granted if needed”, said by the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra gave an exclusive interview to Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency and PTV News at Governor House Peshawar.
Responding to a question about fate of stay of Afghan refugees, He said that they were (are) our guests and we did not confine them to refugee camps. They have become part of our society during last 36 years, said Jhagra. He confirmed that government would not send them back forcefully.
He emphasized that a young generation of them grew in Pakistan and this generation has social links with Pakistani society through marriages.
When asked about the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) —that indicates sending Afghans back, he said that his province was following the decision of NAP.
Intelligence and law enforcing agencies believe that presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is one of the core reason of terrorism in Pakistan.
These agencies have suggested government to send Afghan refugees back but political government wishes to deal with issue softly by avoiding to use force to send them back to Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif granted an extension in the stay of registered Afghan refugees for a further period of six months in June 2016.
Governor Jhagra was optimist that rehabilitation of internally displaced people (IDPs) would end by November 2016 and 100 percent IDPs had already gone back to theirs areas except in Waziristan Agency. He lauded role of Pakistan Army to root terrorists out from tribal areas.
