Pakistan PM offers citizenship to Afghan and Bangladesh refugees, then backs off

Imran Khan breaks with his predecessors. About 1.4 million Afghan refugees and 200,000 Bangladeshis live in the country. Pakistan law grants citizenship to anyone born in the country, except the children of diplomats, “enemy aliens” and people who left territories that became part of Pakistan in 1947.

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan made a surprise announcement on Sunday in Karachi, saying that he wants to grant Pakistani citizenship to Afghan and Bangladesh refugees who have been living in Pakistan for decades.

Backing away somewhat from this statement following criticism, Mr Khan today said that he would consult with all political parties before taking a final decision.

Pakistani law gives citizenship to everyone born in the country, with the exception of children of foreign diplomats, "enemy aliens" and those who migrated away from territories that became Pakistan after the partition of the British Raj in 1947.

The former cricket star, who won power in the last July’s election, took everyone by surprise. His decision represents a major departure from all of his predecessors who backed refugee repatriation.

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Pakistan is home to more than 1.39 million registered Afghan refugees who left their homeland following the 1979 Soviet invasion.

There are also more than 200,000 ethnic Bangladeshis, many of them were stranded in the country after the war in 1971 when Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, gained independence.

"These poor migrants from Bangladesh, they have been here for more than 40 years, their children are grown now … we will give them passports and ID cards, as well as those Afghans whose children have been raised here, who were born here, we will also give them [citizenship]," Khan said in Karachi.

His statement sparked criticism, largely because Afghans are often associated with Taliban terrorists.

Human rights groups note that Pakistani authorities have carried out a sustained campaign of intimidation and harassment of refugees since a 2014 attack in Peshawar school killed more than 140 people, mostly boys.

• pakistan
• afghanistan
• bangladesh
• refugees
• imran khan
• citizenship