Moot raises concern over terror outfits becoming active in Pakistan after Taliban takeover

Former Senate chairman and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Raza Rabbani on Saturday said the Afghan refugees in the past had been settled in Sindh instead of taking measures to stop their influx and now it was a misconception that they would go back to their country.

He was addressing a conference titled ‘Afghanistan imbroglio and its fallout’ organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan in collaboration with the Intellectual Forum.

Rabbani said that whenever there was talk of repatriating refugees, the prime minister said we were under pressure. He added that after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, sleeper cells of terrorist outfits had become active in Pakistan.

“The United States believes that Pakistan has a hand in its defeat in Afghanistan, but if the United States has to find the root cause, they should start an investigation with Clinton's interview,” he said. “Today, it is said that the Afghan war is over, but is it really over?” Rabbani questioned.

Abdul Malik Baloch, former Balochistan chief minister, said it was important to see whether there would be peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the United States forces.

“Afghanistan itself is a complicated region and of course, the situation there will affect Pakistan badly,” said Baloch, who is also the National Party’s central president. “The question is whether Afghanistan will build a democratic and federal system? Will the media be free?”

Syed Mustafa Kamal, the Pak Sarzameen Party chairman, said the war in Afghanistan was not over. “People who are celebrating victory and defeat are not aware of the actual situation in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that many countries were embarrassed over the situation in Afghanistan.

“Since the day Kabul was captured, the insurgencies in Balochistan and Waziristan have been intensified. This war should not be shifted from Afghanistan to Pakistan and for it, it is high time for the government and opposition to end their conflicts,” he said.

Ayaz Latif Palijo, the Qaumi Awami Tehreek head, said the general impression that Afghanistan was being persecuted was correct to some extent. “Those who have read the history of Afghanistan know that there has never been a popular government in Kabul and it was always ruled by some family kingdoms,” he said.

Former MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said our language, culture, and economy were under threat.

Prof Mehboob Sheikh said Pakistan should not allow refugees to come to Karachi. “The government should set up tents on the border to help Afghans as a humanitarian aid,” he said.