Battagram people seek expulsion of Afghans

[Dance]

MANSEHRA, March 12: The residents of Battagram threatened on Monday to launch a mass agitation drive if government didn’t expel Afghan refugees from the district.

“Afghan refugees have settled in a large number in different areas of the district. They have taken over businesses. It is not acceptable to us. The government should restrict their infiltration into the district,” Niaz Mohammad told journalists in Battagram.

Flanked by other elders including Qari Attaullah, Shereen Khan, Gul Mohammad Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, he said that they had already taken up the issue of Afghan refugees with local lawmakers but in vain.

He said that non-locals should not be allowed to settle in the district as they affected the local culture and traditions.

“We welcomed displaced Afghans on our soil but they captured our businesses. Now we will not allow them to destroy the peace of district,” the elders said.

They threatened to launch a mass agitation if government didn’t repatriate Afghan refugees as early as possible.

Hundreds of people had taken to streets about three weeks ago and demanded expulsion of Afghan refugees after two Afghan groups exchanged heavy fire that left 11 persons injured.

Battagram people seek expulsion of Afghans | Provinces | DAWN.COM

 

[russellpeters]

off topic isnt it an interesting name ? Bhattagram means village of brahmins.some of my ancestors where from there, and it surprised me to see its name here.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the place is the same --- minus the so-called ancestors


and hopefully Afghanistan will stabilize so that the illegals who take up local jobs will also be minused as well --not that i have anything against Afghans. They are also Muslims. But this refugees influx over a span of YEARS (this is no new phenomenon)has had a real socio-economic cost. Even in Peshawar and encroachments in Rawalpindi you find them.

most are just displaced people seeking safety and shelter...some are hardened criminals, drug dealer, etc.

 

[Sugarcane]

off topic isnt it an interesting name ? Bhattagram means village of brahmins.some of my ancestors where from there, and it surprised me to see its name here.

Why surprised

@Topic I am in favor of sending back refuges and wish that Afghanistan become stable asap. But i don't like the excuse they are giving to send these refuges back, I mean competition is good, if you can't compete that doesn't mean kick out your opponent. Suppose that those are Pakistanis from different places of Pakistan, will they demand to send those back because they have taken over businesses??? IMO - Only the people who are not competent to compete and survive or don't have trust on themselves find this kind of excuses.

Anyway - Many Afghan refuges are involved in criminal activities and further more they are back stabbers and we must send back asap.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

if they are legal citizens/residents that are REGISTERED WITH NADRA then of course its no problem and competition is good....Pakistan is free market capitalist country since 1947.


illegals who come in and take up jobs --even labour jobs -- should not be allowed....there's a reason why it's called ''illegal''


the locals should not get involved or become sudden vigilantes....this is the job of authorities to enforce law and order

 

[SHAMK9]

i lived there my entire childhood and yes we do hav problems with the refugees, not all of them are bad but most r, im in favour of this because most of them are illegal and most of them r involved in many crimes like, robberies, smuggling, kidnapping etc

 

[Dance]

They should go back, we have enough problems as it is.

But unfortunately I don't see any hope of that happening soon:

The return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has decreased - Ariana News

 

[Armstrong]

Oh yeah...send them back ! The lot of them...they have the temerity of abusing Pakistan after they've been on the receiving end of a common Pakistani's hospitality in the spirit of Islamic Brotherhood ! Send back the wretches...merai heee mulk ka khaataaa hai aur mujheee heee galiyeee nikaltaaa hai, dost !

 

[zip]

Off topic:

It is surprising to see the name of that village .."batta gram" that too in pak_afgan border

o man you are our people ...

I never felt bad for the thought that part of great civilization has changed its belief system.... but it brings real pain when our own people hate us from their heart and we never considered them as our own irrespective of the religion

 

[Safriz]

Afghanistan should recall and rehabilitate their citizens instead of bullying and blaming pamistan on everything every other week..
until the time Karzai starts owning up his people...it may cause a humanjtarian crisis to forcibly send them back to a country of war and ruins.

the financial effect on locals? no idea how that can be resolved.

 

[SHAMK9]

if they are legal citizens/residents that are REGISTERED WITH NADRA then of course its no problem and competition is good....Pakistan is free market capitalist country since 1947.


illegals who come in and take up jobs --even labour jobs -- should not be allowed....there's a reason why it's called ''illegal''


the locals should not get involved or become sudden vigilantes....this is the job of authorities to enforce law and order

thats not the only thing they do, there are lots of cases here in which these illegal afghans hav taken over the agricultural lands of normal citizens.

Off topic:

It is surprising to see the name of that village .."batta gram" that too in pak_afgan border

o man you are our people ...

I never felt bad for the thought that part of great civilization has changed its belief system.... but it brings real pain when our own people hate us from their heart and we never considered them as our own irrespective of the religion

abbotabbad, mansehra, battagram r no where close to the afghan border

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Off topic:

It is surprising to see the name of that village .."batta gram" that too in pak_afgan border

o man you are our people ...

I never felt bad for the thought that part of great civilization has changed its belief system.... but it brings real pain when our own people hate us from their heart and we never considered them as our own irrespective of the religion

are you Pakistani? your flags say you're from india

 

[Sugarcane]

if they are legal citizens/residents that are REGISTERED WITH NADRA then of course its no problem and competition is good....Pakistan is free market capitalist country since 1947.


illegals who come in and take up jobs --even labour jobs -- should not be allowed....there's a reason why it's called ''illegal''


the locals should not get involved or become sudden vigilantes....this is the job of authorities to enforce law and order

I am 100% agree with you but i have seen people in Lahore & Karachi who thinks that Pakistanis of other cities have took their jobs and must not be sent back. That's why i don't like people who are incompetent but blame others for not having business / job.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

thats not the only thing they do, there are lots of cases here in which these illegal afghans hav taken over the agricultural lands of normal citizens.


abbotabbad, mansehra, battagram r no where close to the afghan border

im not from the area so i dont know the ground realities there....but what i CAN say is that if my family owned lands and they were taken away from me, i would resist and fight back.


i dont want this thread to become Pak-Afghan bashings thread --but obviously we do have a very serious problem (economic problem, national security problem) from these influxes. We are a developing country, not a rich welfare state.

 

[Safriz]

Off topic:

It is surprising to see the name of that village .."batta gram" that too in pak_afgan border

o man you are our people ...

I never felt bad for the thought that part of great civilization has changed its belief system.... but it brings real pain when our own people hate us from their heart and we never considered them as our own irrespective of the religion

religion matters....
we have settled this 60 years ago.
no.point in trying to deface two nation theory on the basis of which india and pakistan were divied.and yes the two nation theory was based on religion.
no matter what you or anybody says...pakistan in unlikely to rejoin india....and we should accept this.