No forced repatriation, Afghan refugees told

PESHAWAR, May 2: Federal Minister for Safron, Engineer Shaukatullah, on Monday said Pakistan had always extended hospitability to Afghan refugees and none of them would be repatriated forcibly. Addressing a jirga of the Afghan refugees at Afghan Commissionerate, he said in collaboration with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the government was working on giving legal cover to the business activities of Afghan refugees. Joint Secretary, Safron, Dr Imran, Chief Commissioner, Afghan Refugees, Dr Fida Wazir, Commissioner Afghan Refugees, Syed Jamaluddin Shah, Additional Commissioner, Afghan Commissionerate, Waqar Maroof were also present. Mr Shaukatullah said that initially, the government would issue work permits to 150,000 to 200,000 refugees. He said citizens' cards were also being issued to Afghan refugees. He said due to increase in the population of Afghan refugees the government was also considering increase in the education scholarships for their children. Regarding growing complaints of harassment by police, he said a complaint cell would be established at Afghan Commissionerate, where refugees would be allowed to register all problems. The federal minister assured the Afghan refugees that the amount paid to the voluntarily repatriating refugees would be increased after taking up the matter with the UN Agency. Regarding difficulties of refugees in going on Haj and Umra, he said the government was alive to the matter and taking measures for its redressal. He said the matter would be taken with both ministries of interior and foreign affairs and a special committee would also be constituted in this regard. The minister disclosed that soon he would visit Afghanistan where he would take up with the authorities the problems faced by the repatriating refugees. He said besides increase in the number of visas for Afghan refugees, measures would also be taken for accelerating the process.—APP