Can’t afford to accept more refugees: Khan

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan says Afghan refugees are the biggest concern for his administration.

Already hosting three million Afghan refugees, Pakistan could not afford to accept any more, the premier said in an interview on Wednesday.

Khan urged he international community to incentivise the new Taliban government in Afghanistan to resolve the current crisis.

Speaking to CNN, he warned against efforts by some country to control Afghanistan from outside.

“We can hope and pray that there is peace (in Afghanistan) after 40 years (of conflict),” said the prime minister, who also heads the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party.

The Taliban would honour their comments to protecting human rights, including women’s rights, in their own context, he hoped.

He also noted the Taliban’s amnesty for all Afghans, something that indicates the movement’s quest for international acceptability.

It it was a “fallacy” that Afghanistan could be controlled from outside, he said, adding history showed a puppet government in Afghanistan was supported by the people.

Asked about reasons for the trust deficit between the West and Pakistan, Khan replied: “It is complete ignorance.”

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