December 14, 2002	Saturday	Shawwal 9, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: The government has sealed its borders with Afghanistan for the security reasons and in order to check infiltration of suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives in the country.

This was stated by the federal minister for Water, Power, Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, during a joint news conference along with the visiting Afghan minister for refugees Inayatullah Nazari on Friday.

Afghan envoy Rahmatullah Moosa Ghazi, members of Afghan delegation and Pakistani high officials were also present on the occasion.

Replying to a question Sherpao said: “It was a normal exercise which the government undertakes from time to time to stop coming in of undesired persons without legal documents or for the purpose of sabotage activities”,

Earlier, the two ministers announced that the modalities for the repatriation of 1.8 million Afghan Refugees in next the three years has been finalized and a tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is ready for signing in Geneva in January next.

Under the voluntary repatriation programme, at least 400,000 Afghan refugees will be repatriated per year and remainder will be sent back the next year, it was agreed.

Sherpao claimed that 1.6 million Afghan refugees had returned to their homeland in last eight months. When asked what will happen if some of the refugees refuse to go back, Sherpao said: “I don’t foresee such a situation as we have witnessed an urge among all the Afghans for returning to their hearths and homes in safety and honour”.

Responding to a question with regard to apprehensions about security situation being big hurdle in return of Afghan DPs, Mr Nazari said, the country needed immediate international assistance for development of its infrastructure, social services and shelter problem for the returning Afghans.

He expressed his concern about achievement of the objective in toto if the international community failed to meet its commitment towards reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Replying to a question that when all the imprisoned Pakistanis will be released the Afghan minister assured that Karzai government under a strategy would release some more Pakistani prisoners soon as it had already released over 80 recently.

He dismissed as rubbish the allegation that the Afghan government had handed over some Pakistanis to the Indian government some months back and said: “It was total dis-information and concoction of facts”.

He hoped that the absorption capacity of the Afghan citizens living in other countries including Pakistan will be enhanced as the reconstruction activi-ties will increase with the help of the international communi-ty.

The minister expressed his gratitude for the government of Pakistan for inviting him and according warm welcome dur-ing his stay in the country dur-ing which he met chief minister and governor of NWFP, foreign minister, interior minister and minister for Safron in Islamabad.