Speech #990078784

Mr. Speaker. I recently had occasion to visit the country of Pakistan as part of my duties as a member of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugees and the Subcommittee on Crime of the Judiciary Committee. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Government of Pakistan on their outstanding humanitarian efforts in providing for the almost 3 million refugees from Afghanistan who have flooded their country. and their program to eliminate poppy cultivation in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has done a remarkable job in caring for and supporting the largest refugee population in the world. Onefifth of the entire Afghan population now is residing in 308 refugee camps inside Pakistan. The refugees in Pakistan are about onethird of the total number of refugees in the world from all countries. Support of the refugees costs over $1 million a day of which the Government of Pakistan pays about half. Obviously. the drain on thpir budget and GNP have been enormous. In addition. 3 million sheep and goats have come with the Afghan refugees which have created added pressure on the water and pastures of the country. The Government of Pakistan has also made great strides in eliminating one of the worlds major sources of heroin by taking major steps to reduce poppy cultivation. The number of acres of poppies in Pakistan which have been a primary source of opium and heroin have been dramatically reduced since 1980.