ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday urged the world to take notice of India’s ultranationalist ideology based on Nazism.

Speaking at a two-day Refugee Summit Islamabad on 40 years of hosting Afghan refugees in Pakistan, PM Khan warned the things will get “far worse” if the world continued to ignore India’s belligerence.

“If India’s ideology is not checked, the region will become a flashpoint. This will lead to destruction,” he said.

The Prime Minister said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s notion that they can destroy Pakistan in 11 days was an irresponsible statement by a PM of a nuclear state with a huge population.

“Because of the Hindutva ideology Kashmiris have been persecuted for over 200 days while living under a lockdown. Under the same ideology, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government passed two discriminatory nationalistic legislations, targeting 200 million Muslims in India,” he recalled.

PM Khan said if the international community did not take notice of this situation, “it will create another refugee crisis for Pakistan as Muslims of India have been asked to move to Pakistan.”

On Afghanistan, Prime Minister Khan again rejected accusations that his country was harbouring militants, and insisted that his government has done everything to facilitate the peace process in neighbouring Afghanistan.

“Normally there was an idea that the security forces in Pakistan had their own policy and the government a different one. This is not the case in Pakistan anymore,” he said.

Pakistan is seen as key to helping secure and implement any peace deal in Afghanistan. US and Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of harbouring militants. Islamabad has repeatedly rejected the accusation.

“Whatever the situation might have been in the past, right now I can tell you, all of us, there is one thing we want is peace in Afghanistan,” PM Khan said.

With about 2.7 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, it was impossible to rule out militants hiding among them, he said, adding that his government had done all it could to prevent attacks in Afghanistan, including by building a border fence.

His comments came after Sarwar Danish, Afghanistan’s second vice president, accused Pakistan of allowing the Taliban to recruit fighters from Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan.

Addressing the Islamabad conference, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres praised Pakistan for supporting Afghan refugees.

“For 40 years, the people of Afghanistan have faced successive crises, for 40 years, the people of Pakistan have responded with solidarity,” he said, while calling on the international community to do more for refugees. Guterres also said he was very encouraged by Pakistan’s strong commitment for peace in Afghanistan.

He said it was “time for Afghans to have peace” and that “no Afghan will forgive us if this opportunity is not seized.”

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also present on the occasion.

They discussed the Afghanistan situation, Kashmir issue and other regional matters. PM Khan said Pakistan was committed to UN charter and supported all initiatives.

The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s generosity in hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last four decades. He also noted that the people of Pakistan drew inspiration to host refugees from the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The Prime Minister underscored that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict.

 

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. He stressed that the establishment of sustainable peace in Afghanistan and creation of conducive environment and “pull factors” which would facilitate the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland in dignity and honour.

The Prime Minister highlighted the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as a result of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019. He added that India’s belligerent rhetoric, intensified ceasefire violations on the Line of Control.

Antonio Guterres also called on President Arif Alvi. The President commended his dynamic leadership and passionate advocacy for refugees worldwide and hoped that his participation in the International Afghan Refugee Conference in Islamabad would help in renewed focus on this important matter.

The President highlighted the immense contributions made by Pakistan over the 40 years in hosting Afghan refugees and providing them economic and political security. The President also highlighted Pakistan’s efforts in combating climate change and achieving sustainable development.

The President shared concerns over India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, the grave human rights and humanitarian situation there, and the threat posed to regional peace and security by India’s belligerent rhetoric and aggressive measures including intensified ceasefire violations on the Line of Control.

The President underlined the fundamental obligation of the United Nations to implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, pledging the right to self-determination to the Kashmiri people.