December 11, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 6, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to repatriate the remaining 1.8 million refugees, lodged in camps, within three years.

The agreement was reached in a meeting between minister for water and power and state and frontier regions, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Afghan Refugees and Repatriation Minister Enayatullah Nazari on Tuesday.

According a proposed tripartite agreement, the refugees will be repatriated under a phased programme.

Since January, more than 1.5 million refugees have returned voluntarily with assistance of United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Sherpao said consensus would be reached on the agreement with the help the governments and the UNHCR. He said the UNHCR and other donor communities would keep giving financial assistance for smooth repatriation of refugees.

He said the return of refugees would go with the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

Nazari lauded the role played by Pakistan in harbouring over three million Afghan refugees for two decades.

Earlier, Aftab Sherpao received the Afghan delegation at the airport and reiterated the government’s stand for extending help to Afghanistan.

APP ADDS: The Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs, Enayatullah Nazari, called on the minister for interior and narcotics control, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, here on Monday.

Mr Hayat assured the visiting delegation every possible support and cooperation in rehabilitation and reconstruction of his country and said the people of Pakistan wish a strong government in Afghanistan with a durable system, to strengthen peace prospects in the brotherly country.

He also expressed his hope that the international community would fulfil its commitments for reconstruction of Afghanistan at its earliest which will guarantee peace in the region and the world as a whole.

The visiting dignitary thanked Pakistan for its whole hearted cooperation and said Afghan refugees are appreciative of hospitality extended to them for more than two decades by Pakistani people and hoped that the two brotherly Muslim countries would come still closer with the new democratic set-up in Pakistan

Both sides undertook discussions regarding the repatriation of Afghan refugees, tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR, liberal visas for Afghans working abroad, Release of detainees at both sides, offer of Pakistan to train Afghan police.