HARIPUR: Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Engr Amir Muqam said that the Afghan government should control the elements involved in cross-border terrorist activities in Pakistan and prevent them from taking shelter on Afghan soil, as it was not in the best interest of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

“It becomes difficult for us to defend those (refugees) in the face of their anti-Pakistan activities,” he said while speaking to Afghan refugees of Haripur camp here on Saturday.

He said that it was the responsibility of Afghanistan’s rulers, if they claimed to represent the country, to curb the elements crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan for terrorist activities and to take action against anti-Pakistan elements taking shelter in Afghanistan after committing acts of terrorism.

Referring to the cabinet meetings and the discussions at government level about the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, the federal minister said thatthe government functionaries took notice of the anti-state activities of Afghan refugees, burning of Pakistan’s flag and disrespecting its national anthem and cross-border terrorism.

Amir Muqam highlights impact of terrorist activities on Afghan refugees

“I would ask all those Afghans to avoid indulging in anti-Pakistan activities and politics at the cost of their refugee brothers as such behaviour creates difficulties for refugees,” he said.

The minister urged Afghan elders to take responsibility for controlling their youth involved in promoting an anti-Pakistan agenda on social media, as such actions did a disservice to their own community and portrayed them as enemies of their Afghan brothers.

Mr Muqam went on to say that Pakistan had always valued Afghanistan’s independence and unity because it thought that a powerful Afghanistan was highly beneficial to both the country and its citizens.

He stated that Pakistan had been hosting 3 million Afghan refugees for over 40 years, making it the country with the largest refugee population in the world.

Pakistan had made every effort to provide them with basic amenities, and the majority of Afghans were engaged in business activities in the country’s major cities.

The federal minister asked the UN organisations to ensure non-discrimination against Pakistan by extending generous financial support both for Afghan refugees and the host community. Regarding the stay of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, he said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had already announced a one-year extension for their stay in the country.

Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shakeel Mohammad Khan also addressed the gathering and stated that the government was making all-out efforts to provide basic facilities to Afghan refugees.

He mentioned that Haripur was hosting a population of 77,000 refugees, supported by 21 primary schools, 6 Basic Health Units (BHUs), and other road infrastructure.

Additionally, he announced that the tube wells supplying water to the camps would soon be solarised.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024