Call to implement Refugees Law

LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar on Afghan refugees in Lahore Friday called for enacting a Refugees Law, including the internally displaced persons keeping in view all factors. This was the consensus at a seminar on refugees in Pakistan organised by an NGO in a local hotel here.

Addressing the seminar, former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that born amidst refugee crisis and hosting millions of refugees for the past decades Pakistan was no stranger to refugees’ issue. What is strange; however, is the absence of a holistic state policy and legislative framework to address the issues, he said. He said there is no complete and reliable data about migrants, refugees and stateless people in Pakistan. Data collection must occupy the foremost priority for any policy planning. Refugees’ rehabilitation calls for dialogue among the provinces. He called for a full implementation of Refugee Management Policy approved by the cabinet in February, 2017, that called for legislation for refugees, development of a visa regime between two countries and creating credible data bank about refugees.

He said that voluntary repatriation of refugees will remain elusive as long as there is no peace in Afghanistan which in turn will remain elusive until Pakistan revisited its Afghan policy, treated Afghanistan as a sovereign country and took credible steps to negate the perception of aiding Afghan Taliban.