PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakthunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has opposed the federal government’s policy of sending back Afghan refugees after March 31, saying he was not consulted on the matter.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, Gandapur said that the federal government did not take KP on board on how to evict the Afghans. This is not the right move to throw out the Afghans across the border. If the Afghans want to take the nationality of Pakistan, give it to them, he maintained.
He said that Afghanistan is and will remain our neighbor, and the Afghan refugees should not be forcibly expelled. The policy adopted about the Afghan refugees in the past was contrary to human rights. The KP government had sent TORs to the federal government for talks with Afghanistan but despite the passage of two months, there was no response.
He said that the KP government was strengthening the police for the sake of peace in the province. In the last 10 years, the police were not even given guns. He said if the Center pays the arrears of the KP province with the help of NFC, we will increase the salaries of the police.
The Chief Minister claimed that the KP government had allocated billions of rupees for the police despite financial difficulties. Arms and necessary equipment were being purchased to increase the capacity of the police.
It may be mentioned here that the federal government has announced that Afghan refugees, even those holding Afghan Citizen Cards, would be sent back after March 31.
