Photo credit: Pakistan Today
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s long standing commitment to refugees and urged the international community to share greater responsibility in supporting the dignified return and reintegration of displaced populations.
Pakistan Today reports that in his message on World Refugee Day, observed under the theme “Until Everyone is Safe,” the prime minister said Pakistan stood with the global community in expressing solidarity with refugees worldwide and paying tribute to their resilience, courage and determination in the face of displacement.
He said the theme served as a reminder that safety is a fundamental human right, and that the protection and rehabilitation of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, insecurity and other crises remains a collective responsibility of the international community.
He noted that while World Refugee Day is observed globally to promote compassion and awareness about the plight of refugees, for Pakistan it reflects a humanitarian commitment demonstrated in practice for decades.
Referring to the influx of Afghan refugees after 1979, the prime minister said Pakistan opened its borders and extended support to millions of Afghans despite limited resources, providing shelter, care and opportunities to successive generations.
He said Pakistan established refugee settlements and camps and remained among the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries for over four decades. Afghan families in Pakistan were provided access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities and other essential services while living with dignity and respect.
He highlighted that Pakistan had managed the welfare and movement of millions of Afghan nationals over the years, and noted that since September 2023 the country had been implementing a phased, orderly and dignified repatriation program.
According to him, more than 2.4 million Afghan nationals had returned to their homeland by June 2026. He said these figures represented not merely statistics but human lives that had found safety, shelter and support in Pakistan during difficult phases in their lives.
