ISLAMABAD, May 10: A ceremony marked the completion of 100,000 Afghan refugees' return from Pakistan since January 2004 under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) voluntary repatriation programme.

The ceremony was also special for the UNHCR as it completed voluntary repatriation of two million Afghan refugees since 2002 under its programme in Pakistan. As many as 11 families, 88 Afghan refugees, left for Afghanistan.

The ceremony was held at UNHCR Islamabad registration centre on Monday. Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao was the chief guest.

The minister said this was a good sign to see the Afghan refugees return to their homeland and be part of reconstruction process of their country. He said the reconstruction process had already begun in Afghanistan and construction of schools, hospitals, roads and canals were taking place.

"The Pakistani government had taken good care of Afghan refugees and we hope that they would act as unofficial ambassadors to Afghanistan," he added. Expressing her gratitude, the country representative, Guenet Guebre Christos stated that the UNHCR was pleased to see the Afghans arrive safely in Pakistan and find accommodation when war started in their country 25 years ago.

"And the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is happy again to see them go back home and help in reconstruction of their homeland," she said. Senior Public Information Officer Jack Redden said: "It was interesting to note that despite hostilities in Afghanistan so many Afghan refugees were voluntarily returning home. This shows that conditions in Afghanistan were improving."

He said nobody knew of the economic conditions better than the Afghans themselves and they knew that there were now more job opportunities in Afghanistan today.

The UNHCR assistance package for the returning Afghans ranges from $30 to $3 depending on travel distance of the refugees and the amount was enough to get them where they were going.

"Instead of food assistance the UNHCR has given them $8 in cash so that they may spend it in the best possible way," Mr Redden said. The UNHCR predicted that as many as 400,000 to 500,000 would be repatriated in 2004.

The numbers going back were much faster than anticipated, he said. The federal minister also distributed registration documents among the heads of the repatriating families.