In a gathering held Monday (August 26) in Chitral, representatives of several Pakistani political parties urged the federal government to postpone, for one year, the expulsion of migrants from Afghanistan currently residing in the region.
The meeting was chaired by Eidul Hussain, head of the Pashtun nationalist Awami National Party. Participants emphasized that Chitral has been one of the oldest host communities for people from Afghanistan, many of whom settled there during the Soviet invasion and have maintained close ties with the local population.
Speakers expressed strong opposition to the forced repatriation of what they described as their “Muslim brothers,” warning that those returned would face severe hardship and insecurity in their country of origin.
They noted that many of these migrants are engaged in local commerce and have yet to settle outstanding financial transactions with Chitral residents. Forcibly returning them, they argued, would result in significant financial losses.
The session included representatives from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), Pakistan Peoples Party, and Rah-e-Haq Party.
A resolution from the gathering was handed to Mohammad Hashim Azeem, Deputy Commissioner of Lower Chitral, requesting that the expulsions be postponed on humanitarian grounds.
Azeem assured party leaders that he would relay their concerns to relevant government authorities.
