ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government instead of following a strict repatriation of Afghan refugees should use amnesty as an effective instrument for promoting stability and enhanced regional cooperation. Dr. Sanaa Alimia, Teaching Fellow, Department of Politics and International Studies, Government and Politics of South Asia at SOAS, stated this while addressing a seminar organized by Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, on “Future of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan” here on Thursday.She presented an insightful and comprehensive overview of the position of Afghan refugees in urban Pakistan and how it has evolved over the years. The speaker reiterated that Afghan refugees have become an integral part of urban Pakistan. “Refugees” and “citizens” live in shared realities in urban Pakistan; and in most aspects of everyday life the nationally segregating boundaries of the “refugee other” and the “national citizen” do not count.However, the reality of a continued presence of Afghan nationals in Pakistan and of emerging transnational realities in the region cannot be ignored. Due to solidarity, friendship and hospitality between Afghans and Pakistanis, the Afghan refugee position in Pakistan has, on the whole, been without inter-community conflict. Dr. Sanaa Alimia shed light on the fact that millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan fear attempts to be made to force them out of their homes in which some have lived for more than 30 years. They say that they have dealt with discrimination and harassment at the hands of Pakistani authorities, who no longer “find them useful” ever since 2000. Mass arrests and deportations already took place three years ago. Now individual arrests and deportations, as well as daily humiliations - seen through stop and searches, verbal and physical abuse, and requests for bribes - continue unabated, in what can only appear to be efforts to “encourage” repatriation. However one cannot help but suspect this targeted harassment is a side effect of deteriorating Afghan-Pakistani state relations and an effective way of disciplining the remaining Afghans in Pakistan - or even a tactic to “encourage” repatriation.In her concluding remarks she had appreciated Pakistan’s efforts by setting an example for other countries in handling the issue of refugees however at the cost of its own economic, political and social crisis, considering Pakistan has its own huge number of internally displaced persons. She had also acknowledged the involvement of some of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan security problems emerging due to the accommodation of these refugees. This needs proper prosecution by the stakeholders in Pakistan. But at the same time it needs to be seen from wider social perspective to know for why they are engaged in such criminal activities.