June 06, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 5: Analysing the complexities and challenges during a seminar, the speakers urged the UN, the international community, Afghanistan and Pakistan to create a more conducive environment for sustainable repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland.

Speaking at seminar titled ‘Afghan Refugees: Challenges in Repatriation and Resettlement,’ organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Dr Imran Zeb Khan, commissioner Afghan refugees, Kilian Kleinshmidt, assistant representative UNHCR in Pakistan and executive director of SDPI, Dr Saba Gul Khattak, discussed various aspects and issues pertaining to Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.

Dr Khan reiterated the government’s stance that Afghan refugees would have to return to their homeland by Dec 2009.

He said although Pakistan was not a signatory to any international convention on refugees but it remarkably hosted four to five waves of refugees that have come here during the last 27 years.

He said nearly 4.9 million Afghans had come to Pakistan over the years out of which about half had gone back but millions of Afghans were still living in Pakistan.

He said due to the changing international and regional environment, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UNHCR had decided to repatriate refugees.

He said 3 million Afghans were present in Pakistan, according to the March 2005 census. They had been registered and issued Proof of Registration (PoR) Cards, which recognized them as Afghan citizens temporarily living in Pakistan. The POS are valid for three years (till March 2008).

However, those caught without PoRs would be arrested and dealt with according to the law, he warned.

He said Pakistan was working on a three-pronged strategy, which included increased international support to ensure a sustainable repatriation process, increased support of the international community for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Talking about other initiatives, he said an inter-ministerial task force had been formed as a forum for policy debate. Provincial governments and governors had endorsed the policy of repatriation and relocation, being prepared in consultation with the stakeholders.

Dr Khattak, in her presentation on ‘Afghan Refugees: Policy dilemmas’ gave a brief account of five waves of refugees, from 1980 to 2001, who were forced to leave their homeland, beginning from the Soviet invasion and more recently due to the US and its allies-led intervention in Afghanistan. She questioned the neutrality of policy regarding Afghan refugees highlighting the gaps between policy objectives, ground realities, stakeholders’ perceptions and lack of accountability in different initiatives with regard to refugee issues.

She said since Pakistan was not a signatory to the international convention on refugees, it had been facing tremendous pressure in the absence of a formal policy and formal mechanisms for policy debate, frequent policy shifts, economic constraints, shrinking international aid and increasing pressure on local population and infrastructure.

She lamented that these limitations for Pakistan had led to practical problems, for both its citizens as well as refugees, in a number of areas.

Ms Kleinshmidt said management of population flow had always been a crucial task, which was creating problems for all stakeholders in the refugee issue.

He said though voluntary repatriation of Afghans would be difficult but they would have to go back and stay there, which would encourage others to follow suit, ultimately leading to the sustainable repatriation of all Afghan refugees from Pakistan.

However, he cautioned that the absorption capacity in Afghanistan was a major challenge in the repatriation process adding that land, housing, water, health and employment related issues needed special attention.

Declaring it one of the most advanced registration process in the world under UNHCR, he said the UNHCR was satisfied with the registration of Afghan refugees process, which would eventually lead to sustainable repatriation till Dec 2009. He also stressed the need for more policy debate over the issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan as it was creating a negative environment between the two neighbours.