April 5, 2002	Friday	Muharram 21, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, April 4: The voluntary repatriation of Afghan displaced persons (DPs) is likely to be resumed in two weeks after signing of tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UNHCR.

This was stated by Abbas Sarfaraz Khan, Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Northern Areas, States and Frontier Regions while talking to the European Union special representative to Afghanistan, Dr Klaus Peter Klaiber, who called on him on Thursday.

At present, 3.3 million Afghan DPs are living in the country, mostly in the urban centres. Of them, about 0.1 million have returned to their homes over the last three months, the minister said.

He exhorted the world community to work more vigorously for the poverty alleviation in rural areas of Afghanistan as 85 per cent of its population lived in villages with no basic facilities due to ethnic problems. Moreover, demining operation also ought to be activated at a large scale so that Afghan expatriates go back home in safety. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to repatriate half a million refugees this year.