HYDERABAD: Leaders of Sindh United Party and an MNA of Pakistan Peoples Party on Friday found common ground in opposition to refugees as they called for immediate repatriation of Afghan nationals to their country to protect demography of Sindh.

The SUP, which started its protest with 24-hour token hunger strike against Afghans and illegal immigrants residing in the province, demanded both federal and provincial governments send the refugees back to Afghanistan in accordance with a pact signed between the United Nations and Pakistan.

The party activists had set up a camp outside the local press club which was visited by nationalist parties’ leaders and Sindhi scholars including Dr Niaz Kalani, Mushtaq Mirani and others who expressed solidarity with the party’s cause.

SUP general secretary Roshan Ali Buriro told journalists at the camp that over three million Afghan refugees had put a great strain on the resources of Sindh, deprived locals of jobs and facilities, took part in criminal activities, infiltrated into political parties and enjoyed all rights including casting vote, purchasing properties, procuring CNICs, getting government jobs and running major businesses in Sindh.

He said that Pakistan and the UN had inked an accord to send them back and its deadline was June 30, 2020. The date passed without the signatories doing anything as both of them now seemed unwilling to fulfil and respect the agreement. Therefore, SUP activists had gathered to appeal to all locals to support the party’s cause of protecting demography of Sindh by expelling the refugees forthwith, he said.

He warned SUP would stage 24-hour hunger strikes and protests in every divisional headquarters of the province till September and if the government did not expel them by then, they would launch a fully-fledged movement with the support of locals and all parties in the larger interest of Sindh.

He said that PPP MNAs and MPAs had never raised a strong voice on the floors of provincial and national assemblies on this burning issue and only tried to prove their presence by issuing formal statements, but mere statements were not enough to resolve this problem.

He called for passage of strict laws restricting the refugees to camps until they were sent back to their own country.

SUP vice president Jagdesh, the party’s Hyderabad division president Khuda Bux Thebo and others also spoke on the occasion.

SUKKUR: PPP’s MNA Sardar Mohammad Bux Khan Mahar has demanded that Afghan refugees be repatriated to their country without further delay as Sindh can no longer bear their burden on its resources.

He said while talking to different delegations at his residence in Khangarh, Ghotki district, on Friday that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had failed to live up to its election slogans and it was in fact not possible for the present rulers to work for the welfare of people. Time had come for Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down, he said. He said that contrary to its claim that it would generate 10 million jobs the federal government had made an unfortunate decision to abolish several vacant posts under pressure of lending institutions.

He expressed grief over death of Sikh pilgrims in an accident and demanded the federal government ensure an impartial inquiry into the incident and extend financial support to heirs of the deceased as well.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2020