ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has devised a new plan of action in collaboration with Afghan government and United Nations for repatriation or granting permission to Afghan refugees for extension in their stay.
Frontier Regions, Joint Secretary Imran Zeb while talking to Voice of America said that scrutiny had already begun for the verification of the selected Afghan refugee families so that they would be granted concessions permissible under the new plan.
He said verification process of about 120 Afghan families would be completed by end of this year. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans were forced to flee and take refuge in the neighboring countries of Iran and Pakistan, he added.
The plan was also designed to find a broad-based solution to problems being faced by them during their temporary stay in Pakistan. The plan envisages suggestions for granting concession to selected Afghan refugee families.
Under the plan, such families would be allowed to live in Pakistan even after the expiry of their stay time by year 2012. They will enjoy equal rights like other citizens of the country.
Currently, the number of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan stands at about 1.7 million with one million more being reported un-registered. The repatriation process is slow because of their reluctance to return due to non- availability of basic amenities and bad security situation in Afghanistan.
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