PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said that registration of undocumented Afghans is essential and in the larger interest of the region.

Talking to Afghan Ambassador Dr Umar Zakhailwal here on Thursday, he said that refugees were not an issue but the basic problem was stay of unregistered foreigners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Chief Secretary Amjad Ali, home secretary, inspector general of police and other senior officers were present in the meeting, said an official statement.

The statement said that overall law and order situation in the region, repatriation of Afghan refugees and other matters of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting.

The Afghan ambassador apprised the chief minister of the problems being faced by Afghan refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He appreciated the cooperation of provincial government and that of police department, saying he himself wanted that all the Afghan refugees go back to their homeland with honour soon.

However, he said the unpleasant situation in Afghanistan forced the refugees to come back to Pakistan. He pledged to resolve issues in that respect.

The chief minister said that combating the challenges jointly by foreseeing the sensitivity of the circumstances was prime obligation of both the neighbouring countries. He said that basic issue was not of refugees but that of unregistered foreign nationals.

IGP Nasir Khan Durrani said on the occasion that there was no discrimination against the Afghan refugees in respect of identification but across the board checking was being undertaken of the people and even a Pakistani faced legal proceeding for not having identity card.

The Afghan ambassador assured the chief minister of all out cooperation for peace in the region, improving relations between the two brotherly countries and sorting out the problems faced by the people on both sides of the border.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2016