PM Imran Khan to grant citizenship to thousands of Pakistan-born refugees.

Another exceptionally bold step taken by the PM.

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By Bisma Hassan

On Sunday 16th of September 2018, on his maiden visit to the economic hub of the country; Karachi, Prime Minister Imran Khan made the unprecedented pledge to grant nationality to all refugees of Afghan or Bengali origins, a move that brought great joy to some while inviting ire from several others.

The announcement was made at a ceremony in the fund-raising program held at the southern port city of Karachi which houses the largest population of Afghan refugees and Illegal Bengali immigrants.

“Many Afghans and Bengalis have been living here for last 40-50 years. Their children were born here. We will, Insha Allah, issue national identification cards and passports,” said Khan.

The UN refugee agency has stated that there are 2.7 million Afghans, half of who are registered as refugees, in the country.  These immigrant families have fled from years of persecution and conflict in the disruptive country of Afghanistan.

“They are humans. How come we have deprived them and have not arranged for offering them national identification card and passport for 30 years, 40 years,” Khan rued.

UN surveys suggest that approximately 60% of the Afghan refugees present in the country were either minor when their parents migrated to Pakistan or born here.  Therefore, Afghanistan is completely alien to these youngsters who play quite a significant role in our national economy.

PM emphasized the fact that these individuals are eventually forced into criminal activities since, without national identifications, they are unable to find jobs and build lives for themselves. It directly affects the ever-growing street crime rates in the city.

Khan further explained how he was directly overseeing the federal Interior Ministry ensure efforts were made to provide these nationalities without any further delay.

This move is bound to benefit a vast number of refugees and immigrants, particularly Bengalis who had first migrated to Bangladesh in 1947 and then to Pakistan in 1971.

People took to Twitter, expressing their joyful approval.

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Needless to say, opposition arose rather quickly. Sindhi nationalists, who already see refugees as unnecessary burdens on their local resources and living spaces, fear that the growing populations will cause an imbalance of the population equilibrium.

Sindh Minister Saeed Ghani, of PPP, expressed his reservations regarding the decision quite immediately, taunting that the PM should open doors of his Bani Gala residence for the immigrants if he has such concern for them.

People were particularly put off by the inclusion of Afghanis.

Despite the hostility, people still chose to highlight how beneficial this would prove to be by narrating personal encounters.

 

 

 

 

Bisma Hassan