PESHAWAR, July 24: Repatriation of Afghan refugees from Fata especially from South and North Waziristan agencies would be completed on a priority basis and a committee would be constituted to protect economic interests and to settle the business matters of the refugees in these areas.

This was decided at a meeting which was held here on Saturday. The meeting was attended by NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Chief Commissioner of Afghan refugees Ghulam Dastagir Khan and other senior officials.

The meeting discussed various matters in detail with regard to the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Fata, said a hand out.

Mr Sherpao briefed the governor about issues discussed with high authorities of the UNHCR during his recent visit to Geneva relating to the repatriation of refugees to their homeland.

Mr Sherpao said that the repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland was a decided reality and it had already been decided that they had to be repatriated to their homeland under a phased programme by 2006.

Similarly, he said it had also been agreed upon with the UNHCR that from Sept 1, 2004, all newly-established refugee camps would be closed down and refugees' repatriation process from Fata would be dealt with on a priority basis.

Fata Security Secretary Mehmood Shah informed the meeting about the measures taken to provide protection to foreign officials engaged in activities of the UNHCR as well as other international aid agencies in Fata and said that under the directives of the governor fool-proof protection had been ensured to them.

He, however, made it clear that mishaps that took place in this connection were results of the negligence on the part of officials concerned.