ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that thousands of Pakistanis, who fled North Waziristan because of Operation Zarb-i-Azb, could still be in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the weekly media briefing, FO Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam for the first time shared the official figure of those who had migrated to Afghanistan after the start of the military operation in North Waziristan in mid-June.

“The verified figure we have of Pakistanis who crossed the international border and went to Afghanistan after the onset of Waziristan Operation is 67,120,” she said, adding that close to 38,000 had returned shortly afterwards.

Know more: Fleeing tribesmen consider Afghanistan safer

The operation had also produced about a million internally displaced persons.

She remained vague about the status of the remaining migrants and said they kept moving across the border.

“The remaining keep moving – because of the easement rights and because they have relatives on the other side,” she maintained.

It is believed that many of those who fled the operation were fighters of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and militants belonging to other groups. Some of these terrorists have set up sanctuaries in Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces.

The Army claims that Zarb-i-Azb is continuing successfully, but has refused to give a deadline for its completion or the return of IDPs.

In reply to a question, the spokesperson said that Pakistan was still hosting about 3 million Afghan refugees.

The agreement for their stay in Pakistan ends in 2015.

“We have called upon the UNHCR, international community and the Afghan government to create the pull factor for the return of Afghan refugees who have been in Pakistan for decades,” Ms Aslam said.

“We would like the UNHCR and international community to help Afghan government...create necessary environment inside Afghanistan so that these people can return.”

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014