May 5, 2005	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, May 4: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and appreciated Pakistan’s support for providing shelter to millions of Afghan refugees. “Pakistan is hosting the Afghan refugees for many many years and UNHCR greatly appreciates it,” she told reporters after the meeting.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told her that Pakistan has close friendly relations with Afghanistan and the two countries have deep historical links. He said Pakistan had been hosting millions of Afghan refugees for about 25 years.

Appreciating the role of UNHCR for its support to the refugees, the prime minister expressed the hope that with life returing to normal in Afghanistan, the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan would be able to return to their country.

The UNHCR Ambassador offered to raise funds for the Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and agreed to participate in an international conference to be held in Islamabad for this purpose.

She also praised the prime minister as “a wonderful man who is doing so much for his country and to help these Afghan refugees”. She said there was so much still to be done for the Afghan refugees here.

Minister for Frontier region Yam Muhammad Rind was also present during the meeting.—APP