ISLAMABAD, May 10: Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said that Pakistan will provide training to Afghans in the fields of paramedic, agriculture and education.
Mr Sherpao briefed on Friday a delegation from the Afghanistan Ministry of Overseas about the refugees’ repatriation and rehabilitation plan.
He said the government had announced $100 million financial support for rehabilitation of Afghanistan and a substantial amount was spent on various projects.
The minister said that a special cell had been established in the Planning Commission of Pakistan to identify projects relating to rehabilitation programme of Afghanistan including a training component.
He said Pakistan would also fund the construction of Torkham- Jalalabad and Chaman-Kandahar roads.
He said Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz was in touch with the Afghan leadership and Islamabad would provide all possible support regarding rehabilitation.
Mr Sherpao said Pakistan could provide short term training facilities to the people from Afghanistan on urgent basis including health, education and agriculture sectors.
He said that according to tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) the government would continue the repatriation process. All issues relating to refugees would be discussed in the next week’s meeting between Pakistan and the UNHCR, he said.
With the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he said the government of Pakistan had managed to repatriate 1.5 million Afghan refugees and the remaining 2.2 million would be sent home gradually.
Later, the minister gave away souvenirs to the visiting members of the delegation.—APP
