Pashtun nationalist party leaders demand that Pakistan halt the repatriation of Afghan refugees
Islamabad: The Dawn reported on Thursday that Pakhtun nationalist party leaders urged Pakistan to suspend deporting Afghan refugees, saying that the government should stop repatriating those who have been in the country for more than 40 years.
Asghar Khan Achakzai of the Awami National Party (ANP), Nasarullah Zerey of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Ahmed Jan Khan of the National Democratic Movement, and Noor Bacha of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) made the following arguments at a joint press conference: Afghan refugees have basic rights and are protected under Pakistan’s Citizenship Act, according to the Dawn.
The leaders voiced worry about the political and economic climate in Pakistan and denounced the growing crackdown on Afghan refugees, many of whom were born and raised there.
According to the Dawn, they cited judgements from the Peshawar High Court and the Federal Shariat Court and called on the government to immediately stop deportations and abide by the court’s directives.
In addition to condemning the deteriorating law and order in Balochistan, the nationalist leaders met at the ANP headquarters in Quetta, Arbab House.
They demanded the discharge of what they called “false cases” against Pakhtun leaders, notably Ali Wazir, and rejected the narrative that blamed the nation’s problems on Afghan refugees.
They also called for the removal of political names from the Fourth Schedule and the release of missing individuals, according to Dawn.
A five-member committee has been established to deal with the problem, work with other political organisations, and choose a course of action. According to the Dawn, the leaders were also against recent administrative reforms that they said violated the 18th Amendment, such as the integration of the Balochistan Constabulary into the Frontier Corps and the merging of Levies with the police.
In their conclusion, they asserted that enduring peace requires equality of rights and justice rather than coercion.
