KARACHI, Feb 28: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees will soon set up its office in Karachi to facilitate the repatriation of Afghan refugees living in the city and other parts of the province.

This was stated by Eva Demant, deputy representative of the UNHCR, Islamabad, and in charge of the Refugee Repatriation Programme, at a meeting held here on Thursday.

The meeting was presided over by the Sindh local government minister, Dewan Mohammed Yousuf Farooqui.

Earlier a meeting on this very subject was held in Islamabad in which interior minister Moin Uddin Haider had emphasised that the exercise should start with a focus on Karachi where, according to an unofficial estimate, almost 500,000 refugees are living in various camps.

It was decided that the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Karachi would be on a voluntary basis for which a campaign would be launched through Afghan elders to educate the refugees about the need for their voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan. The UNHCR has already launched such awareness campaigns in the NWFP and Balochistan.

According to a survey conducted by certain NGOs, there are some 400 to 500 such families of Afghan refugees in Karachi who wish to go back to their country voluntarily.

The UNHCR will coordinate with such NGOs to facilitate the voluntary return of these families.

Those wishing to go back would be first taken to the camps to be setup within Afghanistan by the UNHCR before their resettlement in their country.

On the suggestion of Dewan Yousuf Farooqui, a working group was set up in the home department. This group will comprise the additional secretary home, one representative each of the police and city government and two representatives of the UNHCR.

This group will extend all help and cooperation in the UNHCR’s efforts towards voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees.

It was decided that the UNHCR would establish its office within 10 days besides the setting up of camp offices in 5-6 such areas where Afghan refugees are living in considerable number.

The UNHCR officials informed the meeting about the plan to launch an awareness campaign for voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees.

The meeting was also attended by acting Nazim Karachi Tariq Hasan Khan.—APP