PESHAWAR, March 16: Federal State and Frontier Regions Minister Abbas Sarfraz Khan said on Saturday that the government would soon ink an agreement with the Kabul government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland.

Addressing the bar council in Takht Bhai, Mardan district, he said that during the first phase, voluntary repatriation of the refugees would be encouraged from the NWFP and Balochistan. In the second phase, screening would be carried out to identify the refugees and facilitate their return.

He said the world community had donated about $1.5 billion aid for reconstruction of Afghanistan and the refugees should return to rebuild the country.

He said a peaceful and strong Afghanistan would strengthen Pakistan.

The government, he said, had donated $100 million for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

He said that with peace in Afghanistan, the trade to Central Asia would be done through the NWFP, specially Peshawar.

The minister said the reconstruction in Afghanistan would provide opportunities to the people of Pakistan, businessmen, traders and contractors.

He donated Rs50,000 to the council and said he would convey its problems to the quarters concerned.—APP