ISLAMABAD, April 22: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has assisted 300,855 Afghans to return to their country from Pakistan in seven weeks of its repatriation operation, says a press release.

This is an enormous turn-out given the fact that the UNHCR is only assisting returnees, and not yet promoting repatriation due to the volatile situation in some parts of Afghanistan, the press release said on Monday.

When repatriation assistance started on March 1, the UNHCR anticipated a total of 400,000 refugees to return from Pakistan in 10 months. These figures have to be revised as the 10-month target is most likely to be met in less than three months, it said.

One out of 10 returnees so far went through the Taktabaig registration centre close to Peshawar, it added.

As the registration of returnees is gaining momentum in Karachi, Quetta and Islamabad, the UNHCR expects that the pressure on the staff and returnees in Takhtabaig will eas.