PRESIDENT ZARDARI AT THE UN

The President, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, paid a visit to the United States where he addressed the UN General Assembly highlighting the issues of the religion, the strong reaction of the Muslim world over the anti-Islam video. UN had its own importance for world peace and security and the President had explained Pakistan’s stand on world peace and security seeking a solution to the Afghanistan issue for which Pakistan is playing a positive role. Stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of the whole region with disturbed Afghanistan, there will be no peace and stability in the whole region. There is a marked difference between the stand of Government of Pakistan and certain individuals known as militants disturbing the peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Government is not supporting the banned militant outfits and Jihadis on most of the regional issues, including Afghanistan and Islamabad is ready to work with the international community in retaining peace in the whole region. There are different perceptions between Pakistan and the United States on certain issues and there is no difference in retaining peace in Afghanistan defeating militancy both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The world community should find a comprehensive solution to the regional peace and security by involving some other neighbouring countries in the peace process isolating the militants and banned religious outfits out to implement their own narrow agenda both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The most important issue the President of Pakistan raised at the UN and during his visit to the United States was the repatriation of all Afghanistan, both refugees and illegal immigrants as Pakistan Government is not extending the amnesty for the Afghans to stay back in Pakistan after December 31 this year. It is the most vital question for Pakistan and its people as millions of Afghanistan, including refugees, are a serious burden on the national economy in this crisis and Pakistan is unable to feed them. There was a proposal from the former Prime Minister, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, to settle all the Afghans inside Afghanistan in barbed wire camps till their return to their homes with honour and dignity. The International Community should finance all the expenses of the Afghan refugees inside Afghanistan till their return to their homes. They should not be allowed to stay back in Pakistan for any reason as they are a serious economic burden. The Government should take stern action against the illegal Afghan immigrants and round them up and hand them over to the Afghan authorities at the borders forfeiting their property and assets, if any. They should not be allowed to carry out any business, drive push carts or donkey carts or undertake manual work in any part of Pakistan as it is the first right of Pakistani citizens and not the Afghans. First of all two major cities—Quetta and Peshawar should be vacated followed by Karachi sending all the Afghans with valid UNHCR papers to their camps in faraway places. In the second phase the Afghans from the refugee camps should be handed over to the Afghan/world community for their settlement inside Afghanistan. There should be no more concessions to the Afghans under the UN pressure and they should be sent back voluntarily or involuntarily back to their country. Pakistan Government can create millions of jobs for its citizens once Afghans are sent back home and there will be no economic burden on the Pakistani economy once the Afghans leave Pakistan once for all. There should be no pick and choose policy and all Afghans with no valid travel documents should be sent back. Only the Afghans possessing valid travel documents should be allowed to stay back. We hope that the President of Pakistan had passed on the message in categorical terms to the UN and the whole world that Afghans should leave Pakistan as they are no more political refugees. They are economic refugees by all means and are they are here for better economic prospects and at the cost of the Pakistani citizens.