Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a secure, stable and economically resilient Afghanistan is essential for the dignified return and sustainable reintegration of Afghan refugees in their homeland.
In a message marking World Refugee Day on June 20, Sharif said Pakistan stands in solidarity with refugees around the world alongside the international community.
Pakistani prime minister said the day is observed globally to promote empathy for refugees and raise awareness of the hardships and suffering they endure.
Referring to Afghanistan’s refugee history, Sharif said: “For Pakistan, however, this is not merely a sentiment expressed on a particular day; it reflects a humanitarian commitment that our nation has demonstrated in practice for nearly half a century.”
He added that after the events of 1979, millions of Afghans fled war and insecurity and sought refuge in Pakistan. Despite its limited resources, he said, Pakistan opened not only its borders but also its arms to successive generations of Afghan refugees.
Sharif claimed that, in keeping with its humanitarian traditions, Pakistan has remained one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries for more than four decades, establishing settlements and camps where several generations of Afghan families have lived with dignity.
His remarks about providing Afghans with a dignified refuge come as Pakistan has been carrying out a large-scale campaign to expel undocumented Afghan migrants since September 2023. According to Islamabad, more than 2.4 million Afghans had returned to Afghanistan by June 2026.
The statement also comes at a time of heightened tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban administration over security concerns, recent cross-border attacks and Pakistan’s allegations that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants operate from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Relations between the two sides have deteriorated sharply, and the ceasefire has effectively collapsed.
