FO: 400,000 Rohingya refugees in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokeswoman Asim Iftikhar stated on Monday that 400,000 Rohingyas, who have been expelled from Myanmar by a military crackdown, had taken asylum in Pakistan besides the three million Afghans.

During the Covid-19 reaction, he observed, “the people of Pakistan have exhibited extraordinary charity, hospitality and compassion for the refugees in our nation.” He made the statement on World Refugee Day.

Government officials have made their first official estimate of Rohingya refugees in Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State fled to Bangladesh because of a military campaign in Myanmar. However, maritime merchants are also believed to have taken many people to Pakistan via the sea route.

Over the past four decades, Pakistan has endured one of the world’s greatest and longest-lasting refugee crises, a spokeswoman said.

This number, although providing estimates of Rohingya populations, also elicits many doubts.
The Korangi Creek neighbourhood of Karachi has been home to many Rohingyas for many years.

Top Myanmar generals should be investigated and prosecuted for crimes against humanity and genocide, according to a United Nations fact-finding mission in 2018.

The Foreign Office took the opportunity to show its support for refugees all across the world as part of World Refugee Day celebrations. It argued that the international community should not forget about the long-standing Afghan refugee problem as other crises arose throughout the world.

“All of us can help,” said Shehbaz, the prime minister of Pakistan.

The globe should support underdeveloped nations that continue to house significant numbers of refugees, prime minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a tweet.

“Conflicts, poverty, and economic injustice all have a devastating impact on refugees.” According to him, “their condition demands renewed policy attention and resources.”