Afghanistan Peace CampaignRegarding the issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Munir Akram added that Pakistan will not expel those refugees who have entered the country legally.
Karen Decker, the Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Afghanistan, told TOLOnews on the sidelines of the Doha Forum that the United States has two main objectives regarding Afghanistan: ensuring the implementation of the Doha Agreement and sending humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.
The US Charge d’Affaires said: “We have two main goals when it comes to Afghanistan. The first is to make sure the counterterrorism commitments that were laid out in the Doha Agreement are upheld. That is a 365-day, year-round, 24/7 requirement, and hoping the Taliban do that is a priority. The second goal is supporting the Afghan people, and that comes in the form of humanitarian assistance, which we have provided more than two billion dollars since the fall of Kabul in 2021. I can’t speak for what the conditions are for other countries, but for the US, we have held firm that the government of Afghanistan gets its legitimacy from the will of the Afghan people, and it is the actions of the Taliban that are supported by the Afghan people. That is where they get their legitimacy from, not from a decision that we make.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, also speaking at the forum, described the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan as inevitable due to their shared interests in various sectors. Munir Akram said there is a need to improve this cooperation through various means.
Munir Akram told TOLOnews: ” It is an inevitable relationship. We are two neighbors; we have to live with each other. The people of Afghanistan and Pakistan are very close ethnically, historically, and religiously. In every way, we are very close, and therefore, we have to find ways to live together, cooperate, and mutually develop our countries.”
Regarding the issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Munir Akram added that Pakistan will not expel those refugees who have entered the country legally.
He further stated: “We do not intend to send back the refugees. All we are doing is sending back those who do not have proper documentation, who have crossed illegally, and who are living illegally in Pakistan. This is not only for Afghans; it applies to all illegal residents in Pakistan. We are simply applying our laws so that there are no illegal people in Pakistan. Anybody who has proper documentation, such as a refugee card or even an identity card, and has entered Pakistan legally, will have no problems.”
This comes as over 100 countries gathered at the 22nd Doha Forum to discuss global challenges.