Afghan refugees' repatriation restarts from Monday

ISLAMABAD – The voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan will restart on Monday.

A repatriation center has been set up at Azakhel district Nowshera to register refugees who want to go back to Afghanistan, the Radio Pakistan reported citing a spokesman of UNHCR.

The facility to register refugees at the center will be open only on Monday and Tuesday, it added.

11 Pakistani Hindu migrants found dead in India

Meanwhile, Pakistan has welcomed the Afghan Loya Jirga's recommendation to release remaining 400 prisoners.

In a statement on Sunday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Pakistan hopes that with implementation of this step relating to the prisoners' release, as envisaged in the US-Taliban Peace Agreement, the Intra-Afghan negotiations will commence at the earliest.

 He said Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized that the Afghan leaders must seize this historic opportunity and work together constructively through Intra-Afghan negotiations to secure a comprehensive, broad-based and inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan.

The Spokesperson said the international community must also reinforce its support for the success of Intra-Afghan negotiations for sustained and durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. 

 He said for its part, Pakistan has consistently supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.

Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Pakistan reaffirms its support for a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.