PUBLIC Accounts Committee at its meeting on Wednesday expressed serious concerns over the presence of illegal Afghans in Pakistan saying these should either be kept in camps or be deported back to their homeland.
The committee also truly represented the true feelings of Pakistanis when the Afghans shouting anti-Pakistan slogans have no right to stay here.
The whole world recognizes the generosity and open heartedness shown by Pakistani nation to the Afghan refugees.
Whenever there is difficult situation in Afghanistan, the Afghans stream either to Pakistan or Iran.
There were already over three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan when the Taliban took over the government last year.
Given the precarious and uncertain situation in Afghanistan, there were genuine apprehensions within Pakistan that more Afghans will pour into Pakistan.
It is really unfortunate that our authorities concerned did not take the requisite steps to stop the flow of these Afghans or to keep them in the border areas.
The result is that the Afghans are once again roaming in our every big city. Already the terrorists are rearing their ugly head again and these Afghans also pose a security threat as also noted by the Public Accounts Committee that these Afghans have been found involved in terror acts as well as robberies in Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad.
The regrettable part is Pakistan is open for all whilst other countries including our neighbouring Iran has a mechanism to accept the refugees.
Given the posture of these Afghans towards Pakistani people, their presence also poses a serious threat to society.
The very latest incident in the UAE where during the Asia Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghans threw chairs and beaten up Pakistani people, has really hurt sentiments of common man in Pakistan.
We therefore believe that the concerns raised by the PAC are valid and our government must engage with the Taliban for the return of these illegal as well as other Afghans residing in Pakistan over the last many decades.
It is also responsibility of international community to create a pull factor in Afghanistan for the return of these refugees.
