Minister asks Kabul to rein in anti-Pakistan elements

HARIPUR: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam on Saturday asked the Afghan government to rein in those involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

He urged Afghanistan to stop hosting the anti-Pakistan elements.

“It becomes difficult for us to defend them [refugees] in the wake of the anti-Pakistan activities,” he said speaking to Afghan refugees of Haripur camp here. He said that it was the responsibility of Afghanistan to stop the elements crossing into Pakistan for terrorist activities.

The federal minister said that the government functionaries took notice of the anti-state activities of Afghan refugees who burned Pakistan’s flag and disrespected its national anthem. “I would ask the Afghans to avoid indulging in anti-Pakistan activities and politics at the cost of their refugee brothers as such behaviour creates difficulties for refugees,” he said.

He urged the Afghan government to stop the youth from promoting anti-Pakistan agenda on social media as they were doing disservice to their own community.

The minister said that Pakistan had always respected the freedom and solidarity of Afghanistan as it believed that a strong Afghanistan was in the favour of Pakistan and its people.

He said that Pakistan had been hosting Afghan refugees for four decades and it was the largest population of refugees in the world and utilized its best efforts for providing them basic facilities. He said the majority of Afghans were doing business in Pakistan.

“We respect and are happy that they are doing business and enjoying their stay in Pakistan but the Afghan government must now realize to desist from creating hardships for Afghans living in Pakistan and make sincere plans for their permanent repatriation to their homeland as their actual home is in Afghanistan and they have to return to their country one day,” he said.

The federal minister asked the UN organizations to stop discrimination against Pakistan and extend generous financial support for Afghan refugees. About the stay of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, he said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already announced a one-year extension for them.

Commissioner Afghan Refugees Shakeel Muhammad Khan also addressed the participants and said that the government was making all-out efforts for providing basic facilities to the Afghan refugees.

He said that Haripur was hosting a population of 77000 refugees with 21 primary schools, six Basic Health Units and other road infrastructure for them while the tube-wells meant for water supply to camps were being solarized.