Afghan refugees

According to The Guardian, Pakistan is planning to repatriate the Afghan refugees numbering three million back to Afghanistan this year. The newspaper has opined that sending the Afghans back will add to the problems of the country since it is already grappling with militancy. When the Afghan-Soviet war broke out millions more had crossed over from Afghanistan into Pakistan that greeted them with hospitality almost as if it was their second home. These refugees were given security, shelter as well as allowed to make a living for themselves in every sense of the word, something that arguably no other nation could have done for them. Unfortunately, in return for this altruism, we were faced with repercussions that continue to hit us to this day, ranging from Kalashnikov culture, drug trafficking to militancy. While it has been our economy largely that has shouldered the burden, help from the international community in a manner that ought to have come has been lacking. It is very rare that a country would welcome displaced persons with open arms like Pakistan did and that too when there are such numbers of them. But as this report indicates, it seems there are not many quarters willing to praise us for our generosity. It is now in the interest of both Pakistan and Afghanistan if this displaced population is repatriated.