Don’t harass Afghans, Pakistan asks security organs

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan has issued special instructions to its security agencies to refrain from inconveniencing the Afghan refugees living on its soil.

Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan said on Wednesday that the special instructions had been issued by the Ministry of Interior.

At a meeting with Afghan Ambassador Najibullah Alikhel in Islamabad, the minister indicated the stay of refugees with expired Proof of Registration (PoR) cards would be extended temporarily.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and international bodies would not shy away from their responsibilities towards Afghan refugees, he hoped.

“Pakistan has been nurturing Afghan refugees by providing them with equal opportunities as its own citizens in every field of life,” the minister claimed.

Sultan explained that the Afghans had been exempted from all fees and taxes on visas on arrival to avoid any inconvenience to them.

Afghan students have been provided jobs and granted admissions to schools and universities on a priority basis, the minister continued.

Ambassador Najibullah hailed Pakistan’s pivotal role in promoting the peace process in Afghanistan, including the ongoing negotiations in Doha.

The neighbours had deep cultural bonds, he noted, believing the existing cooperative relations could be strengthened further.

“It is my privilege to be Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan. I’ll do everything in my capacity to take our relationship to a new level,” he remarked.

He said people-to-people contact was the first priority of the Afghan government and the current political environment would further the relations in a positive direction.”

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