US calls on Pakistan to accept Afghan refugees: ‘We strongly encourage’
Hindustan TimesThe United States has appealed to Pakistan to permit Afghans seeking refuge to enter the country, Daily Times reported on Saturday. A spokesperson from the US State Department emphasised the need for Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, to facilitate the entry of Afghans seeking international protection and to collaborate with international humanitarian organisations to provide essential assistance. "We strongly encourage Afghanistan's neighbours, including Pakistan, to allow entry for Afghans seeking international protection and to coordinate with international humanitarian organisations. A group of former senior US officials and resettlement organisations has called on Pakistan to exempt thousands of Afghan applicants for special US visas or refugee relocation to the United States from deportation to Afghanistan. Pakistan has been hosting the largest number of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Kabul in 1979, with the total number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan estimated at 4.4 million, Daily Times reported.