MIANWALI: The process of repatriation of Afghan refugees going on for three months will be completed by Dec 31, 2017.

This was stated by Commissioner Afghan Refugees Riaz Hameed Chaudhry during a press conference here on Friday.

He said at least 35,000 refugees, including 15,000 from the Afghan refugee camp in Kot-Chandna, had so far been repatriated.

Mr Chaudhry said that Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan were being funded by the UNHCR.

He said that around 12,000 refugees were residing at Kot-Chandna refugee camp, which is considered the largest in Punjab.

The commissioner said since the number of refugees was falling, the donor agency had started decreasing the funds and directed us to retrench the staff.

About the fate of the camp staff, Mr Chaudhry regretted that no increment had been in the salaries of the staff working in refugee camps for decades, but he was bound to follow the instructions of the donor agency.

He said he had already taken up the issue with higher authorities for the provision of funds to compensate the retrenched staff.

Published in Dawn December 3rd, 2016