No justification for ‘do more’ mantra: Rajwana

LAHORE :An international conference on “Migration and Displacement” Tuesday began at the Government College University, Lahore under the auspices of Political Science Department and Centre of China Studies.

Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana was the chief guest on the inaugural session of the three-day conference. Twelve speakers from China, Belgium, Nepal, Bulgaria and Tajikistan also attended the moot. 

According to a press release, in his address, the governor said there was no justification for asking Pakistan to 'do more'. “We have been hosting and helping millions of Afghan refugees for the last many decades. And, then we are also the most sufferers of terrorism which was fought very well by our armed forces and law enforcement agencies,” he added. 

He told the foreign delegates that perception, created by international media about Pakistan, was wrong. “We are a peaceful country with a huge potential for foreign investment and tourism; I hope you go back to your countries and tell your people the real story of Pakistan,” he added.

In his keynote address, Prof Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi, an eminent political scientist and Old Ravian said that migration was a major challenge to humanity and global efforts were needed to deal with it. “Influent nations have to play a greater role because most of the refugee problems are caused by the international politics; ambitious global agenda of major world powers,” he added. 

Prof Rizvi hoped that this conference would provide the much needed well-researched and well-documented information, data and analysis on why, how and in what manner refugees and human migrations have implications for domestic and international politics.     

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said that migration had social, economic and political implications on host states. Also, episodic experiences of displacement certainly leave prints on the personality and psychology of refugees, and deserve serious academic investigation. He appreciated the efforts of Political Science Department for hosting an international conference every year on highly pertinent issues.  In his welcome speech, Prof Dr Khalid Manzoor Butt, the conference chairman, said that according to a UNHCR report; globally one in every 122 humans is now either a refugee, internally displaced, or seeking asylum.