ISLAMABAD June 21: Pakistan government ordered on Friday the release of 690 Afghan refugees from various jails. The refugees were arrested under the Foreigners Act in the second week of May last in a countrywide crackdown following terrorist acts in Karachi and Islamabad.

The release of these refugees, an Afghan embassy source told Dawn was made possible following a recent visit by an Afghan governor, Gul Agha, who held separate meetings with interior minister Moinuddin Haider and health minister Dr Abdul Malik Kasi on Wednesday and Thursday.

Afghan embassy staffer Abid Jan said there were about 3,000 Afghans languishing in various prisons in Pakistan under various criminal charges and the batch released on Friday was that of the people who were nabbed under the Foreigners Act.

As many as 40 Afghans, out of 690, were released from Gojar Khan jail, and the remaining were kept in Adyala jail in Rawalpindi and were expected to be released late Friday night.

Afghan counsel general Rahmat Moosa Ghazi and first secretary at Afghan embassy Abdul Jabbar Naeemi interacted with the officials of the interior ministry.