ISLAMABAD: In talks held in Islamabad on Monday, representatives from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on the international community to further the cause of Afghan refugees and provide means to end future displacement.
The sixth edition of the Quadripartite Steering Committee meeting, held every year, saw the participation of Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) and Shehryar Afridi, Pakistan’s Minister of States and Frontier Regions.
The Iranian side was represented by Hossein Zolfaghari, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security and Disciplinary Affairs, while Indrika Ratwatte, Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, was speaking on behalf of the UNHCR.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the progress and challenges of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) which aims to support host countries by providing voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration.
“All parties reaffirmed their commitment to the SSAR and agreed to extend it until 2021...for identifying and implementing solutions for Afghan refugees,” the UNHCR said in a statement released on Monday.
All parties reiterated their support for joint advocacy and resource mobilization to support the strategy. “The participants urged development actors and other partners to provide adequate, tangible assistance for the SSAR,” the statement read.
The groups also called for joint efforts to create a conducive environment for a gradual, phased and voluntary return and sustainable reintegration of refugees in Afghanistan, in addition to aiding host communities, such as Iran and Pakistan, for the purpose.
Afridi, for his part, appealed to the international community to allocate more funds for the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) program. He also urged for concerted efforts for development inside Afghanistan which could lure refugees to return home.
Recognizing Pakistan’s contribution in hosting Afghan refugees for the past 40 years, Balkhi said that due to a large number of migrants in Pakistan and Iran – and due to insecurity in Afghanistan – the SSAR has not been able to reach its goals.
“The need for SSAR continues to exist and I, therefore, call on the extension of the SSAR time frame,” he said.
Four-party meet in Islamabad seeks world’s attention for Afghan refugees
Four-party meet in Islamabad seeks world’s attention for Afghan refugees
- Representatives call for joint advocacy and resource mobilization
- Push for an extension of timeframe to realize goals set by group
Qatar, Pakistan resolve to boost strategic, economic cooperation at Doha talks
- Both countries urge dialogue on Afghanistan amid renewed border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul
- Discussions focus on bilateral trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Qatar on Tuesday agreed to deepen their strategic and economic cooperation during high-level talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Sharif’s office said.
Sharif visited Qatar along with a high-level delegation on the invitation of Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Pakistani premier also held meetings with Qatar’s trade and defense ministers to discuss cooperation in various domains.
The visit came at a time when Pakistan is seeking closer economic engagement with Gulf partners amid its broader push to stabilize the economy and attract investment, while maintaining security and defense cooperation with key regional states.
During their meeting in Doha, PM Sharif and Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, according to the Pakistan prime minister’s office.
“They reaffirmed the strong brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the growing momentum in political, economic and institutional ties,” Sharif’s office said.
“Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, energy, defense, manpower and labor and culture, with both sides stressing the importance of their task force to accelerate cooperation in all these areas.”
Pakistan and Qatar maintain strong trade and investment ties. In 2022, the office of Qatar’s emir said the Qatar Investment Authority planned to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, targeting sectors including transport, aviation, education, health, media, technology and labor.
Nearly 300,000 Pakistanis live and work in Qatar, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, with many employed in health, education, engineering and public services, as well as construction and transport. The two countries engage through forums such as the Bilateral Political Consultations and the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Sharif said he had productive discussions with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on how the two sides could transform their brotherly ties into mutually beneficial economic relationships.
“We also took stock of the regional situation,” he said on X. “Pakistan and Qatar will continue to work together for peace and stability in the region and beyond.”
DIALOGUE WITH AFGHANISTAN
Earlier, Sharif and Qatar’s Deputy PM Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called for dialogue to support regional stability.
The meeting took place amid renewed tensions after Islamabad carried out airstrikes last week on what it described as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets inside Afghanistan. Kabul said the strikes killed civilians and vowed to respond to what it called a violation of its sovereignty.
“Regional developments were also discussed, in particular the situation in Iran and Afghanistan,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “Both sides emphasized the importance of dialogue, de-escalation and collective efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.”
This was the second time in less than six months that Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan. The last strikes triggered heavy, weeklong clashes between the neighbors along their border before Qatar and Turkiye mediated a ceasefire between them in Oct. last year.
Separately, Sharif held meetings with Qatar’s State Minister for Trade Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed and a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA), highlighting Pakistan’s investment-friendly reforms.
He invited QBA members to explore opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, energy, agriculture, technology and export-oriented manufacturing, his office said.
