Slow progress on Afghan refugees return

Pakistan OBSERVER, Tue, Nov,27, 2007.

Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema
 

Rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan has not only slowed down the rate of returns of Afghan refugees from camps in Pakistan but has also taken a heavy toll of focused and sincere efforts of UNHCR(United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). The worsening security situation in some parts of Afghanistan is effectively impeding the return of two million refugees. In the past the repatriation of Afghan refugees was viewed as progressing at somewhat satisfactory level but the recent drastic fall in numbers has created many difficulties and injected complications for the Pakistani host. 

While it is repeatedly asserted that the ultimate aim is to repatriate the Afghan refugees to their homeland within a reasonable time span, little more than 356,000 refugees returned this year out of which 150,000 were registered whereas the rest of them were non-registered refugees. The year 2002 saw the return of the highest number of refugee to Afghanistan which was 1.6 million. Since 2002 the number of returning refugees have not been all that impressive. 

Unless and until the security situation improves the number of returnees is likely to further drop. The presence of large number of refugees in Pakistan has already complicated the situation in Pakistan and gave birth to many unanticipated social and economic problems. In addition, their presence Pakistan has further complicated Government of Pakistan’s efforts to plug trafficking of both the Taliban and their sympathizers. 

It has been reported that many Taliban’s sympathetic elements use the cover of returnee refugee luggage and sometimes even attempts to get guns and ammunition inside their luggage are made. The Government of Pakistan have been engaged in all kinds efforts to accelerate the departure of the refugees and deny the them smuggling of contrabands. It has also bee  reported that many Taliban take refuge in refugees camps and use all those facilities that are being provided by the Pakistani Government. 

The discovery of  Taliban fighters who frequently use the cover of refugees makes the situation for the Pakistani authorities rather complicated and difficult. Already the registration system is being questioned. The people of Pakistan are doing everything to facilitate their stay in Pakistan but accommodating attitude of some of the refugees to provide cover to the Taliban injects complications for Pakistan. The western media invariably without undertaking proper investigation puts out reports of their hideout in such a way that it generates the impression that it is being done with the connivance of Pakistani Government. 

For more than 25 years the government of Pakistan has played a host to four million Afghan refugees. Despite the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan the process of repatriation took quite sometimes to take off. This was quite understandable as the situation in Afghanistan was not all that attractive to motivate them to go back to Afghanistan. Over the years the American and their allies have been able to inject some semblance of stability but situation is still far from being total normalcy. 

It is a well known fact that Pakistan’s open door policy towards the Afghans eventually resulted in many complications whereas the Iranian policy was carefully carved. However it needs to be stressed here that following the ouster of the Taliban regime, Pakistan’s de-linking with Taliban has not yet fully sunk in among some quarters. The accusation that Pakistan is providing a sanctuary to Taliban is not at all true. However it is difficult to deny the existence of some sympathies for Taliban among certain sections of Pakistani Pakhtoons population. This does not mean that Pakistan is not engaged in preventing the periodic undesired infiltration from some parts of Pakistani tribal areas. 

Pakistan has always been deeply interested in Afghans’ welfare and has consistently extended its full cooperation. Cognizant of close geographical proximity sharing a long and difficult border stretching over 2500 km, close ethnic linkages, shared historical experiences and trading interactions, both Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work hard towards the attainment of closer ties and increasing cooperation in almost all fields. The existence of Pakhtoons on both sides of border and the presence of large number of Afghan refugees on the Pakistani soil make it imperative for both to avoid irritations, unnecessary conflict situations, provocative statements, undesired insinuations and wild accusations etc. If one is annoyed over certain aspect of a particular policy, it should immediately get in touch with the counterpart and try to resolve it quickly. 

In recent times the Pakistani forces have started an army action against the foreign militants who use the borders areas of both Pakistan and Afghanistan for their nefarious designs. Pakistan’s actions against the foreign militant elements in the tribal areas are not only meant to curtail their illegal activities but also to ensure peace and security in the area. It is not too fetched to assume that some foreign militant elements do try to enter Afghanistan after feeling the heat on Pakistani side. However the Pakistani forces are engaged in ensuring that both sides of the border are safe and the terrorists are not allowed to enter Afghanistan. But this does not mean that the entire border is effectively plugged and sealed. 

Undoubtedly there is a realization that the two neighbors need to live in peace and harmony. Frequent contacts and visits of senior officials and the holding of common Jirga have been able to improve ties between the two countries considerably though some senior non-Pakhtoon officials of President Karazai’s government along with American officials in Afghanistan did manage to damage the relations between the two countries. During the early days of Karazai regime one can easily afford to ignore the policy pursuit of shifting responsibilities but continuous dwelling on such a policy even after the passage of so many years begins to reflect the contribution of other undesirable factors and also tends to expose the hollowness of the policy. 

The Afghan dilemma is how to secure stability and ensure a reasonable level of developments. Cognizant of its fragile security situation and increasing need for accelerated development, the Afghan government in fact requires the cooperation of all. Afghanistan needs the help of both India and Pakistan.  To secure the cooperation of neighbors, it is imperative that Afghanistan carefully avoid any misunderstandings and elicit more and more cooperation for its own objectives. For obvious reasons the Afghan government needs to work hard in ensuring a reasonable level of internal security. 

Pakistan’s Relations with Afghanistan has always been somewhat problematic despite the existence of a realization that both need to have very cordial relationships. While Pakistan’s major objective is to have a friendly and stable Afghanistan on its western borders, it appears that the developments in Afghanistan have invariably influenced the Afghan decision makers to employ the strategy of shifting responsibilities in one form or the other. Pakistan is fully conscious of the fact that instability in Pakistan would have direct and serious repercussions for Pakistan; therefore all of its efforts are directed towards the stability, unity, development and prosperity of Afghanistan. Undoubtedly a stable and peaceful Afghanistan can accelerate the return of the Afghan refugees.

The writer works for Islamabad Policy research Institute.