Afghan repatriation: Deadline extended till Dec 2015

PESHAWAR: Following approval of the federal cabinet, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on Tuesday extended the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees till December 31, 2015. The earlier deadline was June 30, 2013. Registration cards to afghan refugees will now be issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) up till December 2015. Police officials, seven divisional commissioners across K-P, UNHCR officials, K-P commissioner of Afghan refugees and CCPO Peshawar have been told to ensure Afghans holding registration cards are not harassed. Last week, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had said the Pak-Afghan border should be regulated for the peaceful repatriation of Afghan refugees. “It is the federal government’s responsibility to control the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2013.