US envoy appreciates Pakistan’s decision to extend Afghan refugees’ stay

United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome has appreciated Pakistan’s decision to extend the stay of registered Afghan refugees by a year, a statement from the US embassy in Pakistan said on Friday.

A large number of Afghan immigrants, with an estimated 1.7m undocumented as of October 2023, reside in Pakistan. Last October, the caretaker government had announced the repatriation of all illegal foreigners citing security concerns. The decision was alleged to be meant for Afghan refugees, a charge that was denied by officials.

Pakistan launched the first round of deportation in November last year, and according to state-run Radio Pakistan, 675,190 Afghans have returned to their country as of August 4 under the drive.

While the government had decided to begin the second round of repatriation of holders of Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC), it last month granted 1.45 million Afghan refugees another year, extending their permitted stay in Pakistan till June 30, 2025.

According to the US Mission Spokesperson Jonathan Lalley, Blome expressed the sentiments in a meeting today with Minister of States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam in Islamabad.

While thanking Muqam for Pakistan’s “long history of hosting Afghan refugees”, Blome also reaffirmed the US’s commitment to working with Pakistan to “assist Afghan refugees and Pakistani community members in areas hosting refugees”.

Blome “expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s recent decision to extend the validity of refugee Proof of Registration cards”, Lalley’s statement said.

PoR is a critical identity document held by registered Afghan refugees.

Lalley added that Blome also thanked Pakistan for the “positive steps taken to address protection concerns, and for our countries’ continued cooperation to facilitate the safe, efficient resettlement of eligible Afghans” to the US.

The decision to extend the refugees’ stay had come a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, who was visiting Pakistan.

PM Shehbaz had urged the international community to recognise the “burden of Afghan refugees” being shouldered by Pakistan and demonstrate “collective responsibility” to deal with the issue. Grandi had also met with Muqam and Dar.

http://dlvr.it/TBjLNX

Comments

Casualties feared in Dir clashes between FC, intruding militants: reports

LOWER DIR: Casualties are feared on both sides as militants from Afghanistan reportedly attacked Frontier Corps (FC) personnel at multiple locations at the Pak-Afghan border in Maidan area of Lower Dir district on Saturday, as per unconfirmed reports. According to local residents and official sources, there were reports of militants’ infiltration from the Afghan side via the Shahi border area at Lamotai Top, Suripao and Safarai forest. However, the reports were yet to be confirmed by Inter Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing. On getting information about the alleged infiltration, troops of the paramilitary force, FC, led by Captain Yasin, Captain Asfandiar and Subedar Hamza, advanced to block the militants’ movement, as per reports. The militants allegedly attacked the troops, who also retaliated, thus prompting fears of casualties on both sides. The security forces surrounded alleged militants at three different locations. Later, gunship helicopters lau...

PM Shehbaz pays tribute to martyred lieutenant, says military ‘cleaning’ Fitna-ul-Khawarij from Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday paid tribute to an officer who embraced martyrdom during an exchange of fire in Tirah Valley’s Bagh area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Khyber district, the Prime Minister’s office said in a notification on Sunday. According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today, an exchange of fire took place between security forces and terrorists on August 9 during which Lieutenant Uzair Mehmood Malik was injured. He succumbed to his injuries and embraced martyrdom at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) today, it said. “At one of the locations in Bagh, Lieutenant Uzair Mehmood Malik, leading his troops from the front, fought bravely and sent four Khawarij to hell,” the statement said. “However, during an intense fire exchange, the officer got critically injured and was under treatment at CMH Peshawar. Today he succumbed to injuries and embraced Shahadat.” The statement added that the security forces of Pakistan ...

Family points finger at PPP MNA, two sons in journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s murder in Ghotki

SUKKUR: Slain journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s mother and two relatives have reiterated the allegation in statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC in a Mirpur Mathelo court that Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA and his two sons had Nasrullah killed through their men. Ms Pathani Gadani, who was complainant in the case, and witnesses, Yaqoub Gadani and Salahuddin Gadani along with their counsel advocate Salahuddin Panhwar appeared before the second civil and first magistrate the other day and told him that PPP MNA Khalid Khan Loond, his sons, Shehbaz Loond, who was chairman of Mirpur Mathelo municipal committee, and Noor Mohammad Loond, had Nasrullah slain but the trio was so powerful that police had not dared include their names in the FIR. They appealed to the court to bring Nasrullah’s real killers to justice as per law and serve speedy justice to the bereaved family. Gadanis’ counsel Salahuddin Panhwar told media persons that the complainant and the witnesses had clearly stated t...

News ki dunya

Search This Blog