KARACHI, March 19: The implementation of a plan to repatriate Afghan refugees from Sindh, especially from Karachi, will begin in the last week of March.

For this purpose, a temporary camp is being set up near the Hub Chowki where refugees to be repatriated will be registered and later sent to Afghanistan.

The UNHCR chief at Karachi, Anis Daula, and the Protection Officer, Dr Munir Abro, met the Karachi Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, on Tuesday and discussed the repatriation plan and apprised him of the final programme.

The UN representatives informed the Nazim that there were an estimated 700,000 Afghan refugees in Sindh, and a coordinated plan had been prepared for their return to Afghanistan, and the implementation of the repatriation plan would begin in the last week of March.

These refugees, after their registration at the UNHCR’s camp at Hub Chowki, will go to Chaman or the Torkham border by trucks where officials of the Government of Pakistan and UNHCR representatives would send them into Afghanistan.

The delegation told the Nazim that to facilitate Afghan families to take their household goods and for their own journey they would be paid 150 US dollars a family.

The UNHCR and other organizations have already chalked out a plan for their rehabilitation in Afghanistan.

The delegation said as an immediate measure for their rehabilitation in Afghanistan each family would be provided with 150kg wheat and they would also be helped in house construction and provision of other necessaries of life.

The UNHCR representatives thanked the Nazim for providing building and space to set up the UNHCR office and camp for registration of refugees.

The Nazim said Pakistan has served its Afghan brethren for long and all possible cooperation will be extended to the UNHCR for their repatriation to their country. — APP