Stop forceful return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan: HRW
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The Human Rights Watch (HRW) spoke against the forceful return of Afghanistan refugees from Pakistan, reminding the government of their obligation to protect all Afghans in the country, including those not registered as refugees.
The recent increase in the repatriation of refugees seem to indicate that the have been coerced into leaving by the local authorities, claimed HRW in a statement on Sunday.
Since the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, there has been notable rise in Afghan refugees leaving the country. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), nine times as many Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan in January 2015 than in December 2014.
“Pakistani officials should not be scapegoating Afghans because of the Taliban’s atrocities in Peshawar,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “It is inhumane, not to mention unlawful, to return Afghans to places they may face harm and not protect them from harassment and abuse.”
Nearly all of the refugees returned from three Pakistani provinces – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and Punjab – where an increase in arrests, detentions, and evictions of Afghans were reported during the same period.
The overwhelming majority of Afghans who have left Pakistan since December 16, 2014, have not been formally deported, but are rather categorized as “spontaneous returns".
Also read: Afghan refugees won’t be harassed, PTI assures envoy
An official form International Organization for Migration told Human Rights Watch that many of the unregistered Afghan returnees reported that they had left Pakistan to escape harassment following the Peshawar attack.
“Pakistan’s government is tarnishing the country’s well-deserved reputation for hospitality toward refugees by tolerating the punitive and potentially unlawful coercive repatriation of Afghan refugees,” Kine said.
“The government needs to defend the rights of its Afghan population and ensure that local authorities aren’t carrying out vindictive reprisals for an atrocity the Afghan refugees bear no responsibility for.”
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On DawnNews
Comments (84) Closed
Feb 22, 2015 04:28pm
Give refuge to these Afghanis in your country or any country in the west. Why burden Pakistan?
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Feb 22, 2015 04:31pm
Perhaps HRW can take them all in? Pakistan has accommodated Afghan refugees for 30 years without support. As a consequence some parts of Pakistan are no more safer than Afghanistan.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:34pm
Pakistan is unable to bear the burden of its own citizens, so how can it help the Afghan refugees in Pakistan which it has tried to do for over a decade. UNCHR and Afghan government should urgently make arrangements for return of refugees to Afghanistan. Leading world economies and the UN need to assist the Afghan government in their rehabilitation
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Feb 22, 2015 04:36pm
we are not responsible for the afghans, if the said person is so concerned about the refugee then he must appeal to the united state to open immigration for afghans. Why you homeless the afghans and pakistan take responsibility for afghans to cultivate them ..Why .? we are not the contractor for homeless afghanis..
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Feb 22, 2015 04:38pm
Take them to your country, we have had enough of drugs and guns . Pakistan is a poor country, it is not responsible for citizens of other countries
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Feb 22, 2015 04:39pm
We should throw out them immediately. We don't need any aliens in our country. Tell HRW to mind their own business.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:43pm
Kindly take them to Europe and USA. don't tell Pakistan what he has to do with his country.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:44pm
SO if it is alright for Pakistan to Kick Afghans from there land, because they perceive Afghans to be of ill manner, then in the same Response the West has every right to Kick out all Pakistanis, because of there ill manner, because what Pakistan fails to understand is that, the cant hold all of Afghans responsible for Taliban action, if that was the case, then The world can hold all muslims accountable for terrorist attacks.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:45pm
@Omair : Pakistan is already burdened by the influx of illegals from Bangladesh after 1971 war.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:48pm
80% of Patients in Peshawar hospitals are Afghanis. Hence they are already a burden on our national infrastructure and not producing any worth by not paying any taxes.
Support for terrorists is also a debatable topic.
UN should provide funds and aid in afghan camps in order for them to move and facilitate Afghanistan to rehabilitate the refugees in their home country instead asking Pakistan to host them for another 4decades.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:49pm
We need to move Afghans out. In Pakistan, many of its own citizens are living like refugees and more "refugees" are just a burden we simply can not take.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:49pm
Why their abdomen is feeling pain and cramps for the return of Afghans to their homeland. The present day terrorism being faced by Pakistan is the result o this prolonged refugee issue.It should end now. HRW should look for other avenues in Israel.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:50pm
Why pak feeling so insecure of afghans and most of them hav cultural and ethnic similarity with pak. I think its merely a stunt to askfor more foreign aid. More than one million tibetan refugees residing in india since 50 years but india never felt them as a burden on economy and that to without any foreign aid.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:57pm
If forceful returns are stopped, will they go voluntarily ?.
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Feb 22, 2015 04:59pm
Yes please give them all green cards and take them to US. It has much more resources and much more secure than Pakistan.
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Feb 22, 2015 05:07pm
these Afgani we called brother, they grow up in Pakistan apply for refugees status for other country when they get their they become Pakistan hater .... they forget if they were in afganishtan they would not be alive let lone able to have a passport to travel any where or have access to such a facality where they can apply for even for refugees status
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Feb 22, 2015 05:14pm
What about the Biharis trapped on the border with India and Bangladesh who have been those who gave sacrifices for Pakistan? Why can they not return? Oh the Afghans won a war so their refugees can stay while the Biharis lost. Who was responsible for the loss and the winnng? Pakistan!
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Feb 22, 2015 05:21pm
That's what started it....
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Feb 22, 2015 05:30pm
HRW should take all these Afghanis with themselves
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Feb 22, 2015 05:31pm
Sure, send them to USA and EU.
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Feb 22, 2015 05:40pm
Let Pakistan decided what is good for its innocent people who supported the Afghans refugees years together. Now it is your turn. Give refuge to these Afghans in your country or any country in the west.
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Feb 22, 2015 05:57pm
All afghans must be sent back whether registered or unregistered. Afghans are burden on our society and they have destroyed our economical growth. They have huge bussinesses but dont pay taxes and are hoarding black money making the already corrupt society crippled
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Feb 22, 2015 06:00pm
Sindh should follow suit and send the Afghans out asap.
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Feb 22, 2015 06:10pm
Whom to blame for this ? again India ?
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Feb 22, 2015 06:12pm
It expected from these rubbish organization.. They never ever did any thing in favor of Pakistan.. They have no idea how these Afgans damage us ,, They eating and loving Pakistan from 25 years, is any other country have this kind of Heard.Second they are mafia especially in Karachi . They have to go and my suggestion not given visa for next 10 years ..
Close the border immediately..
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Feb 22, 2015 06:21pm
As Musharraf recently observed, the Taliban was given support by the ISI, generating a conflict that caused these refugees to flee. Seems fitting that Pakistan should help the refugees.
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Feb 22, 2015 06:25pm
HRW should mind it's own business. Instead of issuing statements against Pakistani government, it must pursue with Afghan governments for favorable, peaceful & prosperous environment where these refugees may settle.
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Feb 22, 2015 06:41pm
government must repatriate afghans from sindh and balochistan too....afghans are the responsibility of afghanistan government not pakistan
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Feb 22, 2015 06:41pm
Its HIGH time, they must go back. We are done doing humanitarian work for last 30 years. Once gone, lock down the border.
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Feb 22, 2015 06:49pm
Hahaha wat n irony Bangladesh influx in India n Afghanistan influx in Pakistan .
U reap wat u saw!!!!
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Feb 22, 2015 06:59pm
Send them back quickly, no need to wait.
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Feb 22, 2015 07:29pm
It is time for Afghan refugees to return to Afghanistan.
NATO has declared that Afghan war is over and now peace prevails. That is why NATO troops are also leaving.
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Feb 22, 2015 07:34pm
Good ... more should be expelled! HRW should shut up about Pakistan and instead work with Afghan govt to 'do more' for their returned sons and daughters.
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Feb 22, 2015 07:43pm
The Afghan nationals have been living in Pakistan since long time. They are all Muslims. I do not find any reasons to expel them from Pakistan without their will. It should be illegal and cursed upon.
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Feb 22, 2015 07:48pm
HRW should take the responsibility of afghan refugees regarding their ill activities as they are performing in our pious earth.
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Feb 22, 2015 07:53pm
Pakistan is itself a place where they face harm so it is inhumane and infact pretty shameless of UNHCR to comment on Pakistan deporting them when they don't have the courtesy of Providing them sanctuaries in the countries they work for(US UK &Most of western europe)
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Feb 22, 2015 07:57pm
Please send them back ASAP. If not now, than when? Thirty years for refugees is more than enough. Let afghanistan itself with help from its 'close' friends support these refugees.
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Feb 22, 2015 08:16pm
All the Afghan refugees must be return with full dignity and respect because they are the victims of the circumstances and Pakistan should not tarnished its image ; but at the same time the HRW and Pakistan government must expedite the return of these refugees. This is a humanitarian issue and a very sensitive one also. Send them as a friend of Pakistan.
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Feb 22, 2015 08:37pm
mr. human sahib
what do u yhink we pakistanis are not human beings and we dont have any hiuman rights ?
like other"so called" humans
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Feb 22, 2015 08:37pm
why cant this HRW see the brutal killing of our people... little kids and women.... had their own women and children been killed,, the standard of HRW would be opposite,,, indeed these organisation promote terrorism and harbor the terrorists. for over 20 years we have given refuge to Afghanis but how long. they are expelled by the US,, US should give them refuge,, why Pakistan,,
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Feb 22, 2015 08:39pm
Take them to your own country and stop lecturing us, while you guys kill human being in million through war is not against human rights
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Feb 22, 2015 08:45pm
in fact Ussr and west are responsible for the afghanis diplaement and they have to be humane enough to bear the resposibility.
if you have guts ask them to do so
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Feb 22, 2015 08:54pm
@Jagajatt if they want to stay then they have to get themselves registered as Afghan citizen instead of trying to get Pakistani NIC. and UN should pay a specific amount per head to Government of Pakistan just the way UN is paying other EU nations for providing refuge to refugees. Ever since Afghans took refuge in Pakistan the crime rate have more than quadrupled and so they need to avoid spreading the crime and remain as Afghan refugees not Pakistani Citizens.
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Feb 22, 2015 09:14pm
HRW please accept these refugees. Anywhere you say we will send them.
Stop sermonizing to Pakistan.
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Feb 22, 2015 09:26pm
@Jagajatt Sir, take them to India. Your country is so magnanimous! What is PM Modi telling the refugees from Bangladesh? "We will send them home."
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Feb 22, 2015 09:28pm
Well Mr if you are so worried about them then which ever country you are from, ask your government to take these afghan and essimilate in your own nation. We had have enough.
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Feb 22, 2015 09:34pm
@Jagajatt you are more then welcome to take them all in India
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Feb 22, 2015 09:38pm
HRW is a puppet in the hands of the big powers. So the Govt should do its job ask all Afghans to leave Pakistan imediately without any further deadlines.
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Feb 22, 2015 09:40pm
They must leave pakistan n help their own country in its buildup. UNHRC has no right to force 3-4million refuges in a country which is facing its own several internal issues.
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Feb 22, 2015 10:07pm
We need to treat them with respect and dignity. Pakistan and Afghans are natural brothers. We need to get HRW to do repatriation systematically and humanely while at the same time asking HRW to seriously take up issue of RAW funding terrorism in Pakistan via terrorists like fazallah and TTP.
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Feb 22, 2015 10:18pm
Pakistan welcomed Afghans and took care of them from last 38 years and many born in Pakistan and are Pakistani now. The problem is that Afghans have taken Pakistan good gesture toward them as granted. Pakistan always helped Afghanistan in everyway including sports like Cricket and Afghan is playing world Cup because of Pakistan where they learned to play in Quetta and Peshawar with Pakistan's couches.
It is time that Pakistan stop worry about others and focus on its own interests.
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Feb 22, 2015 10:20pm
HRW and UN should take up this responsibility for once in. 30 plus years. Pakistan has played its role of providing hospitality to these Afghans with all its resources. Now it's your turn. Also, do not lecture Pakistan about its responsibility towards Afghan refugees. We destroyed our country for our neighbor and to appease your donors. It's time for them to go home.
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Feb 22, 2015 10:27pm
afghan killing and kidnaping our citizens from cities supplying weapons and all illegal things from past 30 years pakistan People dealing with them and what afghan doing making friendship with india and killing our innocent school going kids on our land really HRW why don't you talk about other arab countries. Pakistan did enough now we need to take care our people and country. enough is enough. Pakistan Zindabad.
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Feb 22, 2015 10:27pm
Afghan should be allowed to work and live in Pakistan freely..
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Feb 22, 2015 10:30pm
Isn't it noteworthy why the refugees in sindh province are not being repatriated?
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Feb 22, 2015 11:18pm
HRW does not understand anything. Ignore it.
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Feb 22, 2015 11:47pm
@Jagajatt what a logic to defend people who are at war for last century.
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Feb 22, 2015 11:55pm
There is a reason Afghanistan was colonise because the killing spree in Afghanistan is going on for centuries. And it's plague by bandits and mercenaries. And now due to idiocracy of Zia regime we fighting a cancer and must win war.
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Feb 22, 2015 11:57pm
Pakistan has been burdened by Afghan refugees for decades. Now Its time for them to return back to their homeland.
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Feb 23, 2015 12:01am
@Jagajatt You are playing tune without knowing the ground reality. Pakistan has been taking care of them for the last 30 years. Now it is the time for them to go back.
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Feb 23, 2015 12:25am
HRW save your identification for Australia
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Feb 23, 2015 12:26am
Pl send to India, as we are humantarian champion to any people in need.
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Feb 23, 2015 01:23am
@delta my friend India claims Tibet to be its state. Also ask the same question to yourself if you found them in terrorist activities against your children.
Regarding money why dont you take that money and also all the refugees
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Feb 23, 2015 01:53am
@Pakistani I was going to write same thing I meet many of these afgahnees in north America they get here using Pakistani identity and at the same time hate Pakistan.
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Feb 23, 2015 02:07am
@delta India never accepts refugees unless it has some serious string attached to it. Tibet is part of China which India has a dispute over. Similarly 1971 Bangladeshi refugees were accepted, trained and used against Pakistan. Sri Lanka is another example.
Pakistan is helping them for more than 35 years and it has without any doubt brought many problems to the country including drugs and illegal weapons. Afghanis are our brothers but there has to be set process to repatriate them in due time.
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Feb 23, 2015 02:20am
Enough is enough
I think they have overstayed the welcome . Our plate is already full
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Feb 23, 2015 03:17am
We should not deport those Afghanis who are born in Pakistan and have citizenship of Pakistan. We need to accommodate and integrate those who have legal right to live and work in Pakistan and should not violate laws. It will be unfair and unjustice if we remove all afghans without respecting their fundamental rights. In Europe , several terrorist incidents happened but they did not deport all Pakistanis or Muslims ....,!!!! So please our Home office ( known for its corruption) should atleast honour their own rules...
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Feb 23, 2015 03:35am
Easy to advise Pakistan. Does HRW know what these people have done to Pakistan?
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Feb 23, 2015 05:15am
don't punish the illegal afghan refugees, punish terrorists whether afghan or pakistani.
treat all ordinary afghan people with diginity, give legal residents the rights to stay.
make sure they have a good opiniion of afghanistan - they are our brothers, friends and neighbors.
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Feb 23, 2015 05:58am
Afghans in US and Europe hate Pakistan. All the refugees must go back as soon as possible. All the borders with Afghanistan be sealed. With 10 miles buffer zone with orders to shoot. All the borders be fixed with millions of mines, Military 3 men post every mile (2400 posts ) backed by helicopter garrison. All the posts should have day and night cameras, monitored in Garrison headquarters. Afghanistan have world largest Indian consulates ( terrorists camps) making insurgents trained by Modi RSS Hindus for Balochistan with aim to re-convert all Balochistan Muslims back to Hinduism. All the Balochistan so called activists are RSS trained insurgents hidden under cover for activists , they are bombing Balochistan on regular basis. Pakistan Military should have cantonments in every small town in Balochistan with hospitals, schools, and arrangements for water supply for surrounding 150 miles of cantonments. Industries should come out of these cantonments so is electricity and health care. Civil government in Balochistan cannot fight Indian insurgents and is a total failure to provide for people in that province, poor are becoming extremely poor, funds allocated goes to corrupt hands; military should take charge, they are more organized and supervise the civilian government. All the insurgents and terrorists be interrogated and killed immediately without any jail time or military court. Their homes be destroyed and their women and children be relocated in different province.
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Feb 23, 2015 06:24am
@m. a Open your eyes and look around, these are the harboroers of terrorists from across the border, brought guns and drugs as gifts, secondly we have already done more than our share for them. I live in Canada and have yet to find a single Afghani who acknowledeges Pakistan's large heartedness in harboring them for over three decades. They are the most selfish and thankless nation. Qaim Ali Shah should take some time out from sipping bhang and kick them out of sindh as well asap.
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Feb 23, 2015 06:27am
@Jagajatt No one is holding them responsible for anything, just the matter of economics, Pakistan is in no position to play host to them any more, we have done enough since the past 3 decades, time to focus resources on own population's problems now. Kick them out of Sind as well ASAP.(only if Qaim Ali Shah wakes up from the effects of bhang)
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Feb 23, 2015 06:37am
Why can't Afghanis work for their own country. They live in Pakistan but sing afghani songs and hate pakistan. Kick them out of pakistan.
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Feb 23, 2015 06:49am
@Omair Why great Saudia ,this people never had refugees
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Feb 23, 2015 07:13am
Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, would you be kind enough to please define "Humans" and then "Rights"!
If Afghan Refugees are Human Beings and have Rights, are not Pakistan Nationals as Citizens Human Beings having Rights?
How and why Afghans came to be Refugees, who made them Refugees? If at all you have real moral courage to speak about "Humans and Human Rights", then send these Afghan Refugees to the Country or Countries responsible for making them Refugees.
Pakistan is a Sovereign State having provided shelter to as many as Three to Four Millions Afghan Refugees for over Three Decades. Rather than being grateful to Pakistan for their Humanitarian contribution you are accusing Pakistan of something that you yourself have failed secure for these Afghan Refugees.
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Feb 23, 2015 08:15am
So, according to dawn.com article above, Azad Kashmir, like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab --is a PROVINCE of Pakistan! Whatever does "azad" mean?
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Feb 23, 2015 08:24am
Should Pakistan care of Amnesty international? where were they when 200 kids got slaughtered, where is UNCHR and amnesty international when the afghans blow bombs killing innocents?let the Refugee go to their second homeland(India ) live there, india got blooming economy let them handle it, its time to deport them .not a single country on earth took this kind of huge amount of refuge and for this kind of long period of time.
Pakistan dont need assistance , just please take these monsters elsewhere, we will help them as a good neighbor not as a 30 years of hospitality.Afghanistan has become liability for the word ,Let the Indians use them against Pakistan when they settled in their own country . Sorry for the good hard working families. Dear guest its time to leave us alone
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Feb 23, 2015 11:03am
What do they expect? what have they done to pakistan and pkaistanis over the decades we are not able to live now.enough of sympathy.
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Feb 23, 2015 11:46am
Pakistan cant afford the burden of AFGHANS anymore. They should be sent back willingly if they don't then by forcefully. These afghans are not good to Pakistanis when we visit Afghanistan they threatens us, we cant even freely move in their country even having the visa. and they are enjoying their lives like kings in our country without visa and destroying us slowly slowly by importing terrorism with the help of INDIA from Afghanistan.
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Feb 23, 2015 11:54am
@Ashfaq if you think Afghans are good to Pakistan then i advise you to please visit Afghanistan and spend some days over there and try to move freely, u will realize the fact about these afghans....they don't like us even they don't like the Pashtoons of Pakistan.
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Feb 23, 2015 11:14pm
@Khan India never claimed Tibet to be its state.
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Feb 24, 2015 01:14am
it was worst to see that Pakistan are suffering by the war on terror more than 4 decade. and of course no more Pakistan can bear the burden of refugee in this time.
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Feb 24, 2015 04:42pm
@Don
These parasites are in Pakistan well before Taliban, and stayed all the time after USSR left, and their power hungry, blood thirsty war lards busy killing each other. Problem is, they do not follow any law, never pay taxes, lives like cults and are never grateful for the country provided them shelter, food and peace.
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Feb 25, 2015 12:42pm
We should not have let them in in the first place. Read the history of the Durand Line. They attacked us multiple times in the 50s, ransacked our embassy in Kabul and desecrated our flag. They instigated rebellion in Balochistan also going back to the 50s. They dragged the Soviets into their conflicts with us and look what happened.
All this long before we took their refugees in. What were Pakistanis thinking to welcome them in the first place? Only Afghanis that can stay are the minority educated thankful ones who pay their taxes and obey the law (which is less than 1% of them). The rest should go to their country and take their false pride with them.
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