KARACHI, June 25: The Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region, Sardar Yar Mohammed Rind, has said the phase-wise repatriation of Afghan refugees would be completed by March 2006 under the agreement reached between the UNHCR, and the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2003. He was speaking as chief guest at a function held at the Afghan Tented Village in Gaddap Town on Saturday in connection with the repatriation of over 120 Afghan families.
The afghan families comprising over 600 persons left in 19 buses and trucks and were seen off by the minister.
Mr Rind said a conference would soon be organised in Islamabad to which donor agencies, countries and organisations would be invited, and the funds collected thereof would be given to such people who can use it in Afghanistan for development there, and for repatriation of Afghan refugees.
Addressing the returning families, the minister said it was a moment of great delight that they were going back to their homes after such a long time.
He said when they had come to Pakistan, the government here was well aware about the conditions of the refugees and their country. But, it was good that the situation in Afghanistan was now improving, he stated.
He said presidential elections had already been held in Afghanistan and national elections would be held soon as well.
Mr Rind recalled that a large number of Afghanis had come over here with their number at one time even reaching four million. While the economic conditions then were not so good in Pakistan.
However, despite that fact, Pakistan had extended every possible to the refugees within its available resources, he maintained.
He said they (refugees) were not going back as Afghanis but as ambassadors of Pakistan, and through them, a good message would be passed on to the people of Afghanistan.
Later talking to journalists, the minister said that about 124 Afghan families were returning to their homes as part of the agreement for their complete return by 2006.
He said the Pakistani government wanted the repatriation of about three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan by 2006 in a respectful manner.
It may be mentioned that the voluntary repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan is governed by a tripartite agreement signed in 2003 between the UNHCR, and the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan that expires in March 2006. A decision on what would follow the present agreement is expected later this year.
To a question, the federal minister pointed out that the agreement was valid till 2006, and it would be premature to say anything about the agreement upon its expiry in 2006.
He said some families are going up to Kandhar and Kabul and some to other places in Afghanistan where they had their homes, and the Government of Pakistan was helping them in their return.
He reminded that Pakistanis had been helping their Afghan brethren since 1979 following invasion of their country by the Soviets.
“We have always tried to help you and will continue doing so till your return to your homeland,” the minister said pointing towards the leaving Afghan refugees.
This year, he informed that a plan had been chalked out for the return of 400,000 families, out of which 127,000 families had already gone back.
On the occasion, an Afghan national, Abdul Hye, said his family had been here for the last 16 years, and he praised Pakistan for its efforts for the Afghan refugees.
Meanwhile, Kazuhiro Kaneko, head of the UN refugee agency office, UNHCR, in Karachi on the occasion said the total number of Afghans returning from Karachi had reached 15,000 during the current year. He mentioned that out of the 135,734 Afghan refugees in Sindh, against a total of three million across Pakistan, more than 10 per cent had been assisted to return to their homeland.
The ceremony was also addressed by Project Director, Afghan Refugees Rehabilitation Centre, Agha Jan Akhter.—APP
KARACHI, June 25: The Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region, Sardar Yar Mohammed Rind, has said the phase-wise repatriation of Afghan refugees would be completed by March 2006 under the agreement reached between the UNHCR, and the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2003. He was speaking as chief guest at a function held at the Afghan Tented Village in Gaddap Town on Saturday in connection with the repatriation of over 120 Afghan families.
