Pakistan will not welcome another influx of refugees from Afghanistan in case of deterioration of the situation there, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday, expressing apprehensions that some anti-Pakistan elements could enter the country in the guise of refugees, reported Tribune.
In a statement from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, Qureshi stated that India, by playing the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan, was disturbing regional peace, and urged the international community to stop New Delhi from the negative attitude.
“Pakistan is the only country, which, despite its limited resources, is hosting 3 million Afghan refugees for decades, however, it cannot afford to welcome more refugees if the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates again,” he said in the statement.
“Since under the guise of Afghan refugees, some anti-Pakistan elements could enter the country,” Qureshi said, adding that it was an obligation to remain cautious. “Pakistan by sacrificing 70,000 lives and suffering huge economic losses has paid a heavy price in the war against terrorism.”
He considered most of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan as innocent and expressed his desire that they returned to their country. “Pakistan wanted to help the Afghan people on humanitarian grounds, but also wanted to ensure the safety and security of its own people,” he added.
