Acting president assures cooperation for resettlement of Afghan refugees

UNHCR chief urges Pakistan to review Dec 31 deadline for repatriation of more than three million Afghan refugees

ISLAMABAD: Acting President Raza Rabbani has assured the country’s full cooperation for the return and resettlement of Afghan refugees in Afghanistan, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.

This was revealed during Rabbani’s meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Gutterres in Islamabad.

Read: UNHCR chief urges Pakistan to review repatriation deadline

Gutteres appreciated Pakistan's services for hosting Afghan refugees in a good manner and also commended the Pakistan Army’s efforts in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

“Pakistan has adopted an effective strategy to combat terrorism,” he said. Gutteres also went on to say that Pakistani people demonstrated courage and patience in a “difficult situation”.

Gutteres has requested Pakistan to review its December 31 deadline for the repatriation of more than three million Afghan refugees from the country after staying there for three decades.

Read: Refugee registration: Afghan team in Pakistan for talks

On Monday, the opening day of his three-day visit to Pakistan, the UNHCR chief called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and also held talks with Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

“Matters relating to Afghan refugees in Pakistan including their repatriation to their homeland came under discussion,” said an official statement. The prime minister said Pakistan took care of Afghan refugees as a sacred duty and their return with dignity is a priority for the government.