Awami National Party Central General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain. PHOTO: NNI/FILE
PESHAWAR:
Awami National Party, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa President Mian Iftikhar Hussain has said that around 2,500 to 3,000 Pakistani students currently living in Afghanistan are facing severe hardship due to border closures.
In a press release, he said that the students have completed their academic session and, despite the beginning of the vacation, remain stranded in Afghanistan due to the continued closure of border crossings. The border closure, he added, has become the biggest obstacle to their safe return.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain urged the authorities to put aside political differences and rigid attitudes and warned that such decisions adversely affect students, commerce and employment. He demanded that both the federal and provincial governments take immediate steps to resolve the issue and ensure the safe return of the stranded students.
He stressed that if returning by road is not possible, the government should arrange special flights for the students. The provincial ANP president further stated that the party’s central president, Senator Aimal Wali Khan, had already submitted a formal request to Pakistani authorities and the Prime Minister’s Office through central spokesperson Ehsanullah Khan. He added that ANP member of the provincial assembly, Nisar Baz, has also repeatedly raised the issue on the floor of the provincial assembly.
“Unfortunately, no practical progress has been made so far,” he said.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain noted that the parents of the stranded students are facing severe mental disorders and stressed that it is the responsibility of the government to take urgent measures and address their concerns without further delay.
