ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the international community to recognize the burden being shouldered by Pakistan while hosting such a large refugee population and demonstrate collective responsibility.
According to a PM Office press release, the PM, in a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi at the PM House, reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to address the protection and safety needs of people in vulnerable situations and highlighted that the world needed to be mindful of the socio-economic challenges and security threats being faced by Pakistan in this connection.
While recalling Islamabad’s longstanding partnership with UNHCR, Shehbaz Sharif lauded the UN agency’s support to Pakistan in hosting Afghan refugees for more than four decades. The PM noted that despite numerous issues, Pakistan had hosted Afghan refugees with exemplary dignity and respect.
The PM sought UNHCR’s support in mobilizing satisfactory resources to supplement Islamabad’s efforts in this connection and urged the UN agency to play its role in promoting durable solutions to address the situation of Afghan refugees, including through safe and dignified return and reintegration in their country, as well as third-country relocation.
The UN High Commissioner has expressed gratitude for Islamabad’s generosity and hospitality in hosting millions of Afghan refugees for several decades and assured that UNHCR would continue to work closely with Pakistan in order to fulfill the basic needs of the Afghan refugees.
