SHARP Pakistan celebrates 25 years of partnership with UNHCR

ISLAMABAD  -  Society for Human Rights & Prison­ers’ Aid (SHARP) celebrated the 25 years of commitment and partner­ship with UNHCR for the rights of vul­nerable communities, honoring the resilience of the people and commu­nities they serve and the dedicated ef­forts of their staff, partners, and well-wishers, according to a press release.

The milestone event was graced by country representative of UNHCR in Pakistan, Ms. Philippa Candler, Coun­try Head of IOM, Ms. Mio Sato, Chief Commissioner Afghan refugees Ab­bas Khan, former spokesperson to the President of Pakistan, Farhat Ullah Babar, former NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chahudhary, Commissioner Afghan Refugees KPK, Representa­tives from UN agencies and embas­sies (US, Swiss, German, Netherlands, Romania), partners from national and international NGOs, government officials and media. The event began with a SHARP documentary, followed by welcome remarks from Liaqat Ba­nori, Chairman of SHARP-Pakistan. In his address, Banori welcomed the distinguished guests and highlighted SHARP’s humanitarian services since 1999. He emphasized SHARP’s ongo­ing commitment, stating, “SHARP has been dedicated to serving vulnerable communities across Pakistan, focus­ing on human rights, advocacy, and le­gal assistance. This celebration marks not only our journey but also the un­wavering support of UNHCR and like-minded organizations whose collabo­ration has been vital to our success.”

Following the regime change in Ka­bul in August 2021, Pakistan experi­enced a significant influx of refugees. In response, SHARP established recep­tion centers in Peshawar, Islamabad, and Karachi to support the registration of new arrivals. To date, these centers have registered 365,684 individuals. SHARP places a strong emphasis on advocacy and awareness, engaging stakeholders such as law enforcement, judicial authorities, media, and civil so­ciety to protect and uphold the rights of refugees. Since its inception, SHARP has conducted regular legal camps in refugee villages and settlements. Ac­cording to internal data, approximately 5.8 million refugees and asylum seek­ers have benefited from SHARP-Paki­stan’s protection and legal assistance services. Ms. Philippa Candler, Repre­sentative of UNHCR Pakistan, stated, “It is an honour to celebrate the SHARP-UNHCR partnership anniversary and reflect on our journey with SHARP and IOM in supporting Afghan nationals over the past two years. Our mission is to protect refugees’ rights and ensure Afghan citizen cardholders have access to essential services. Together, we have navigated challenges, making a sig­nificant impact on those we serve.” She further said,” This collaboration has shown that joint efforts achieve more than any single agency can. Thanks to our coordinated approach, we have ex­panded our service reach and ensured a holistic response. I extend my sincere gratitude to the Government of Paki­stan, especially the Ministry of SAFRON and Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Mr. Abbas Khan, for your in­valuable support. Looking ahead, IOM remains committed to supporting the Government of Pakistan and working with partners like SHARP.”

In her address IOM- Chief of Mission Mio Sato stated “As a partner of SHARP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and Punjab, IOM is pleased to celebrate the silver jubilee of SHARP. Together, IOM and SHARP have been able to support displaced Afghan nationals with vital protection services across Pakistan. While the achievements have been noteworthy, the needs remain high, and IOM remains committed to sup­porting displaced Afghan nationals with vital protection services, with key partners such as SHARP.” In his address, the esteemed guest of hon­our, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Abbas Khan congratulated the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid on its Silver Jubilee. He remarked, “Through its long-standing collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UN­HCR), SHARP has made significant contributions to the protection, rights, and welfare of refugees in Pakistan for 25 years. SHARP’s work in promoting refugee rights, providing humanitari­an assistance, and fostering a support­ive environment for those affected by conflict is truly commendable.