ISLAMABAD: The government in Kabul was offering a number of incentives to refugees living in Pakistan in order to induce their return home, Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, Afghanistan’s Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, said on Tuesday.

Mr Balkhi, who is visiting Pakistan for attending a meeting of the Tripartite Commission on Voluntary Repatriation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan, said incentives being offered to refugees included allocation of residential plots for returning families, creation of jobs, and microfinance and tax-free schemes.

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The Afghan minister also met Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday.

Alemi Balkhi sought Pakistan’s support for the repatriation process.

The two countries have already agreed to cooperate in the registration of unregistered Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

There are 1.5 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan while the number of unregistered refugees is said to be close to 2m.

Islamabad has indicated to Kabul that it would not be able to extend the deadline for refugees’ repatriation beyond December this year.

Mr Aziz appreciated the Afghan government’s efforts to develop a comprehensive plan for return of refugees from Pakistan.

He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the principle of voluntary repatriation and emphasised the imperative of close coordination among Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for devising realistic roadmap and achievable targets for repatriation of the refugees.

Published in Dawn March 11th , 2015

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