ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan has said Pakistan is trying its levelbest for the success of Afghan peace process so that the Afghan refugeescould return to their homeland with dignity.
Addressing the First Global Refugee Forum in Geneva on Tuesday, he stressedthat there is only political settlement of the conflict so that the peopleof Afghanistan who have been suffering from over forty years of conflictfinally can enjoy the dividends of peace.
The Prime Minister said the people of Pakistan hosted four million Afghanrefugees with generosity for about four decades and there are still threemillion refugees in the country including 1.4 million registered ones.
Imran Khan also paid tributes to Turkey for hosting the largest refugeepopulation.
Alluding to the situation in occupied Kashmir as well as neighboring India,the Prime Minister warned the world community of one of the biggestimpending refugee crisis is about to take place due to the steps taken byModi government.
Referring to the revocation of special status of occupied Kashmir by Indiaon 5th of August, the Prime Minister said eight million Kashmiris have beenconfined to their homes. He said the world must realize that the main aimof the Indian government is to change the demographic composition of theterritory from a Muslim majority to a Muslim minority. He said this couldlead to a refugee crisis and the world community must take notice of thesituation and put pressure on India to stop this illegal activity ofsettling in the Hindu population in the held valley.
The Prime Minister cautioned the world that the situation in occupiedKashmir could also lead to a conflict between two nuclear armed countries.
Imran Khan said the UN Secretary General must also understand thecomplications of the steps taken by India in Assam to deprive the Muslimpopulation of Indian nationality as well as the recently passed citizenshipact. He said this could have unprecedented consequences and impact on therefugee population. He said the world must step in to control the situationas Pakistan is bound to suffer because of these Indian steps. He saidPakistan is already hosting millions of Afghan refugees and it will not beable to accommodate more refugees.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has hailed the generositydemonstrated by different countries including Pakistan and Turkey forhosting millions of refugees.
He was addressing the First Global Refugee Forum in Geneva on Tuesday.
The UN Secretary General said the international community must do more andshoulder the responsibility to address the refugee crisis. He stressed thatwe cannot abandon the refugees and their protection is imperative. He saidthere is need to mobilize international cooperation and solidarity to buildthe resilience of refugees in their host countries.
Addressing the Global Refugee Forum, UN High Commissioner for RefugeesFilippo Grandi called for a smart and comprehensive plan to address therefugee crisis. For this, he said, we need a broad alliance of governments,aid communities, businesses, civil society and academia.
The High Commissioner expressed the confidence that the global forum willcome up with a vast array of initiatives and pledges to truly expresssolidarity with the refugees.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is attending the moot as a co-convener. In hisspeech, he will also articulate Pakistan’s perspective, experience andcontribution to the Afghan refugees.
Text of PM’s Speech at First Global Refugee Forum in Geneva
I am honoured to be with the leaders of Turkey, Ethiopia, Germany andCosta Rica to co-convene the first Global Forum on Refugees. I wish tothank the Government of Switzerland and UNHCR for co-hosting this importantevent. I commend Secretary General Guterres and High Commissioner Grandifor their strong advocacy for refugee causes worldwide. I would like to payspecial tribute to President Erdogan and the people of Turkey for hostingthe largest refugee population.
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Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
Pakistan was born of the biggest refugee problem in the history of mankindand we were inspired by the Prophet Muhammad (PHUH) who was a refugee.
Pakistan hosted millions of Afghans and still after forty years has 1.4million and overall Afghans are 3 million.
Countries that do not have resources and cannot look after their ownpopulation and are struggling to develop their human resource – a largerefugee presence causes problems that cannot be understood by richcountries.
I see problems of European countries with refugees and right wing politicsand they cash on the refugee issues.
We know what we go through, as Prime Minister, I can tell you that we facedaily problems when people want jobs and refugees can become targets.
I am proud of people of Pakistan, the way they have hosted, and thehospitality they have shown to the refugees throughout these forty years.
Prevention is better than cure. We must prevent people from becomingrefugees. We are supporting peace process in Afghanistan and are prayingfor peace and political settlement in Afghanistan so that people sufferingfor 40 years in conflict can enjoy dividends of peace.
I want to speak about one of the biggest impending refugee crisis about totake place in India. On August 5, India laid siege of the people ofKashmir. 8 million people are literally shut inside – their rights havebeen taken – people imprisoned communication cut off. The important thingis that it is meant to change to demography of Kashmir from Muslim majorityto minority – we are likely to have another refugee crisis – a crisis thatwould draw other crises. I asked the world to take notice of this in myaddress to the UNGA. Whenever curfew is lifted, there are 900,000 Indiantroops. They will try to change the demography by settling in hindupopulation in Kashmir. We know from our past experience prevention isbetter than cure. If the world puts pressure on India, we can prevent it,but once the crisis starts, we all know, it is complicated and difficult.
One, I want the world community to take notice of what will happen, we areworried this will lead to a crisis.
Secretary General, I am looking forward to invite you in Feb when we hostthe refugee conference there but this is the time to take notice
In Assam citizen register– every citizen has to prove their citizenship –this is what happened in Myanmar before ethnic cleansing of Muslims, theyhad to prove citizenship – In India, more than 2 million people, mostlyMuslims, are now required to prove that they are citizens. An IndianMinister said that by 2024 it will be all over India.
In a recently passed law, any minority from Bangladesh, Pakistan andAfghanistan, that’s persecuted can find citizenship in India, exceptMuslims. When every citizen has to prove citizenship – please understandthe implications Mr. Secretary General –
There are more than 2 million Muslims in India, so anyone who cannot provewill be de-registered as a citizen while all other religions can seekcitizenship on basis of persecution – if 2-3 % of Muslims cannot provetheir citizenship, if will be a challenge – riots have already started inIndia – I ask the international community to look onto it. If a crisisbreaks, it is much more difficult to resolve itAs a country hosting 3million refugees, a country struggling for provision of services to itscitizens, we know the consequences. It is time for the World to take notice– What is happening next door can have an impact on the world community, itis unprecedented.Thank you
