Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Zabuli Tells Pakistan, Iran to Help Refugees

Zabuli Tells Pakistan, Iran to Help Refugees

KABUL - Senate Complaints Commission head Zalmai Zabuli on Wednesday warned that Afghans would stage countrywide protests if Pakistan and Iran failed to address the problems facing refugees in the neighboring countries.
Zabuli told reporters in Kabul that Afghans living in Pakistan and Iran were subjected to inhuman treatment, violating international conventions on refugees.
The lawmaker claimed Iranian government had asked citizens not to help Afghans find jobs and avoid doing business with the immigrants.

However, a spokesman for the Iranian embassy in Kabul said the issue had been wrongly projected and it had a low probability.
Ahmad Dehqani said their government's decisions were not only for Afghans, but for all foreigners living legally in Iran.

Zabuli said Pakistan was pressuring Afghans to leave that country and return to their homeland.
He asked President Hamid Karzai to direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send a delegation to Pakistan to investigate problems facing Afghan refugees.

He also asked foreign ministry to summon Pakistan's and Iran's ambassadors to Afghanistan to lodge a strong protest against maltreatment of Afghans living in their respective countries.
"If diplomacy fails to yield any positive results, then Afghanistan should close its embassies and consulates in Iran and Pakistan, and shut down offices of these two countries here," the lawmaker said.

He also asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to intervene and stop Pakistan and Iran from creating further problems for Afghans.
He said if an early solution to the problem was not found, the Senate Complaints Commission was ready to instigate the masses into launching countrywide protests against the two countries.

Zabuli alleged the Iran and Pakistan intensified atrocities on Afghan refugees after Afghanistan signed a strategic deal with the United States recently.
He said when talks between Afghan and the US officials began on the accord two years ago, Pakistan started firing missiles into Afghan villages.

He asked the US to strengthen and equip Afghan forces to the extent that they could be able to give a mouth-breaking response to Pakistan's aggression.
"The US wants to maintain a week government in Afghanistan and enslave the Pakistani government, but the Americans will take the wish to enslave Afghanistan to their graves," he said. (Pajhwok)