Pakistan to Force Tens of Thousands of Afghan Refugees to Leave the Capital
Islamabad, Pakistan – In a move that has sparked widespread concern and outrage, the Pakistani government has announced that it will be forcing tens of thousands of Afghan refugees to leave the capital city of Islamabad and relocate to other parts of the country.
The decision, which is part of a broader plan to re-settle Afghan refugees across the country, was announced by the Federal Ministry of States and Frontier Regions on Tuesday. According to the plan, the refugees will be relocated to "designated areas" in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The move has been met with widespread criticism from human rights groups, who argue that the decision is a violation of the rights of the Afghan refugees, who have been living in Pakistan for decades. Many of the refugees have been forced to flee their homes in Afghanistan due to war, violence, and political instability, and have been seeking safety and security in Pakistan.
"Despite the challenges, the refugees have made significant contributions to the economic and social fabric of our society," said Amjad Ali, the director of the Association of Universities and Schools in the Province of Sindh, in an interview with the Dawn newspaper. "Forcing them to leave will only add to the suffering and hardship they have already faced."
The decision is also seen as a move to sway international opinion and to pressure the international community to take responsibility for resettling the Afghan refugees.
"The move is a ploy to shift the burden from Pakistan to the international community," said Fazal-ur-Rahman, a leading expert on refugee issues at the Islamabad-based think tank, the Pakistan Institute of Development and Economic Affairs. "Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, but the international community has not done enough to resettle them."
The plan is part of a broader strategy to re-settle Afghan refugees across the country, with the goal of reducing the number of refugees in the capital city from over 300,000 to 100,000 within the next six months.
In a statement, the Federal Ministry of States and Frontier Regions said that the relocation was necessary to "preserve law and order, maintain public order, and ensure efficient and effective provision of public services".
However, human rights groups are urging the government to reconsider the decision, pointing to the immediate needs of the refugees and the lack of adequate infrastructure and services in the designated areas.
"The refugees have been living in Pakistan for decades, and they have made significant contributions to our society," said Rafi-ud-Din, a human rights activist at the Pakistan Human Rights Commission. "Forcing them to leave will not only cause immense hardship but also undermine the principles of human rights and international law."
The decision is expected to have significant humanitarian implications, with many organizations and individuals calling on the government to reconsider the plan and find alternative solutions that prioritize the well-being and security of the Afghan refugees.
As the uncertainty surrounding the relocation of the Afghan refugees continues to mount, one thing is clear: the fate of these tens of thousands of refugees hangs in the balance, and the international community is watching with bated breath to see what will happen next.
