ISLAMABAD, May 29: The government has approved a comprehensive plan to repatriate an estimated three million Afghan refugees and close all refugee camps by 2009, official sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

The plan, based on a two-pronged approach, has been worked out by an inter-ministerial committee headed by Federal Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao in consultation with all people concerned.

Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees for more than two decades. About 2.9 million Afghan refugees are still in the country despite the fact that an even number had already been repatriated to Afghanistan by 2002.

According to sources, the plan urges the government to apply, as a first step, gradual and increasing pressure on the refugees to go back to their country. Under the next phase, the government has been asked to provide incentives to the refugees who are ready to return to their homeland and help the Afghan government to create a conducive environment for the returning refugees.

The plan makes registration of refugees mandatory and suggests forcible repatriation of those avoiding it. However, it suggests to encourage cross-border visits of locals and Afghan elders.

The plan rules out integration of Afghans into Pakistan’s population and urges the government to demonstrate a greater political will to repatriate them. It seeks enforcement of strict border control and suggests promoting and encouraging group repatriation especially of the refugees living in urban areas of the country.

According to the plan, the success of the repatriation policy will depend on the willingness of the Afghanistan government and restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan.