ISLAMABAD, April 19: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) here on Monday accepted Pakistan's request for support in the repatriation of Afghan refugees after the expiry in 2005 of the Tripartite Agreement signed in April last year.
Other details of the agreement would be discussed between the signatories, Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR. This was decided at a meeting attended, among others, by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Northern Areas and States Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, KANA secretary Ashfaq Mehmood, Regional Director of UNHCR Ekber Menemenoiolgu and Country Representative Guenet Guebre-Christors also attended the meeting.
The meeting discussed the forthcoming elections in Afghanistan with reference to participation by the Afghan refugees who are still living in Pakistan.
The prime minister stressed the importance of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan participating in the elections. While UNAMA would be responsible mainly for coordination in this regard, it was Pakistan's expectation that UNHCR would lend its valuable data and assistance, he said.
The UN High Commissioner responded that while this was not the main task of UNHCR, he said the agency's assistance would be available. The prime minister further stated that Pakistan wanted stability in Afghanistan and, as such, was supporting all international efforts for the reconstruction process in that country.
"Peace, tranquillity and increased economic opportunities would motivate the refugees to return home," he added. Mr Lubbers informed the prime minister about the progress in implementation of Tripartite Agreement and said arrangements were being made to voluntarily repatriate 500,000 refugees this year. In the last two years, he added, about 1.8 million refugees were repatriated.
KANA MINISTER: Meanwhile, Mr Sherpao said the provision of economic opportunities inside Afghanistan would encourage the refugees to voluntary repatriate to their homeland. The High Commissioner for Refugees and his five-member delegation attended a meeting with the minister.
Mr Lubbers discussed the progress of repatriation of Afghan refugees to their country, participation of the refugees in the upcoming elections in Afghanistan and the matters related to refugee camps.
Mr Sherpao said stability in Afghanistan and voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees were of vital importance, as these would positively affect trade and commerce between the two neighbours. The reconstruction process and repatriation of refugees will also get a boost, he added.