ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The government has registered about 2.13 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan who will be repatriated under a three-year programme to be commenced by March this year, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said.

He was speaking at a meeting held with a United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) delegation at his residence the other day.

The minister said the government of Pakistan was keen for stability and integrity of Afghanistan and would like Afghan refugees to go back to their homeland and play their part in its development and progress.

The UNHCR delegation was led by Ms Janet Lim, director of the regional bureau for Asia and Pacific. Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah, UNHCR's Pakistan representative, Nadra chairman Brig (retd) Saleem Moeen, and Commissioner of Afghan Refugees Dr Imran Zeb were also present on the occasion.

The meeting focused the first phase of repatriation beginning with the closure of one refugee camp each in Balochistan and the NWFP.

The UNHCR delegation offered its assistance to Pakistan for better border management of its 2,700km long border with Afghanistan.Installation of the biometric system and other measures to control the cross border movement of terrorists were also discussed in the meeting.