04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

PESHAWAR, July 3: Federal Minister for Water, Power and SAFRON Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao presided over a meeting here on Saturday to discuss repatriation of Afghan refugees and relocation of camps.

The meeting was attended among others by Gul Zar Khan, Additional Secretary, SAFRON, Joint Secretary Firdous Khan, Commissioner Afghan Refugees, NWFP, Jamshed-ul-Hasan and other officials of Refugee Commissionerate. Member of NWFP Assembly Sikandar Hayat Sherpao was also present.

The minister said he would meet the UN High Commissioner for Refugees at Geneva this month to discuss repatriation of Afghan refugees.

The meeting discussed various aspects of repatriation of Afghan refugees and re-location of Afghan refugee camps. The issue of compensation to the owner of land housing the refugee camps was discussed and the minister issued directive that compensation cases should be expedited.

Earlier, the mister was briefed on the relief assistance being provided to Afghan refugees. He was apprised about the health and education programmes being run for the refugees in camps.

The minister was also informed about the pace of Afghan refugees repatriation. He was told that 2,43,426 Afghan refugees had been repatriated from NWFP till to date.-APP