The International Conference on Refugee Crises: Lessons from Pakistan and Beyond was arranged by the Center of International Peace and Stability in collaboration with Hans Seidel Foundation on the 11 and 12th of July 2017, at SEECS auditorium, NUST. The Chief Guest, Lt. Gen. Abdul Qadir Baloch (Retired), Minister of SAFRON opened the proceedings to the general audience by providing his deep insight on issue of refugee crises and how it has affected Pakistan. He also believed that Pakistan has not been given due recognition for its efforts to rehabilitate Afghan refugees. The Rector NUST, in his address highlighted the conference as an effort to explore and highlight the issues central to Pakistan’s experience with refugees. He reiterated that the conference was an endeavor to provide a platform for local and international researchers and experts to share their research and experiences.
In the contemporary milieu, conflicts have displaced more people than it can manage. The influx of refugees into Europe has brought to the fore a host of issues related to security, nationalism, and law and order situations. Policy planners are still struggling to grapple with issues that necessitate the need to redesign international and national policies to manage this humanitarian crisis and mitigate unsavory side effects that are inevitably linked with it. In that regard, Pakistan’s experience as a country that has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the years is of great value. A need was felt to collect and collate this vast and unique knowledge and the empirical data that is lying scattered in the official files; and recording the unique knowledge and skills honed over the years for the betterment of the human civilization and for the sake of the future generations. It is in this context that the conference was arranged.
The Guest of Honor for 11th and 12th July, were Maj. Gen. Hassan Azhar Hayat, the Afghan Ambassador H.E Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, and Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, Director General, ISPR. Amongst the honourable guests Dr. Chris Kwaja from Nigeria, Dr. Martin Sokfeld and Lt. Gen Asif Yasin Malik (Retired) their provided valuable opinion on the refugee crises that has engulfed the world.
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