The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Public Relations Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the people in Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had common culture, therefore, there is need for more simplifying the process of traveling and suggested that if possible the old system of Red -pass should be re-introduced. He urged international donor agencies to consider Afghan refugees as refugees and provide them the facilities of health, education and other basic amenities of life in accordance with international standards so that they did not burden the local economy. He expressed these views on Thursday while presiding over a meeting regarding the management and repatriation strategy of Afghan. He also urged the international donor agencies to mobilize additional support for the local communities in Pakistan, especially in Khyer Pakhtunkhwa, who had been generously hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last three decades. This would help minimize the problems of illiteracy and militancy in this region. The Provincial Ministers; Arshad Abdullah, Sitara Ayaz, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Country Head, Mengesha Kebede, Joint Secretary SAFRON, Provincial Secretaries Information, Home, FATA and representatives of police, Frontier Corp and FIA were also present on this occasion. The Minister said that restoration of peace and tranquility in Peshawar was linked with peace in Afghanistan and until peace was restored in Afghanistan, the complete repatriation of Afghan refugees was practically impossible. He said that the people in Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had common culture, therefore, there is need for more simplifying the process of traveling and if possible the old system of Red -pass should be re-introduced. Arshad Abdullah while addressing on the occasion said that if the Afghan refugees wanted to live here, we should think about a law to give them legal status and accept them with open heart. Ms. Sitara Ayaz said that the provincial government would extend full cooperation to UNHCR in the process of repatriation and data collection of refuges. Mengesha Kebede thanked Pakistani government for hosting millions of Afghan refugees on their soil and extending all kinds of basic facilities to them. He said that UNHCR has mobilized additional support for local communities in Pakistan that generously host millions of Afghan refugees for the last three decades. He said in this regard, during this year, projects worth nearly 8.5 million USD of infrastructural development, water and sanitation, health and education, had been initiated through the refugee affected and hosting areas. He added the voluntary return operation resumed this March after the winter break. So far, 2,500 individuals have gone back home to Afghanistan. At least 3.7 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan with UNHCR's help since 2002.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Revival of Red-pass to cross Pak-Afghan border Asks donor agencies to provide for refugees, compensate locals
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Public Relations Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that the people in Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had common culture, therefore, there is need for more simplifying the process of traveling and suggested that if possible the old system of Red -pass should be re-introduced. He urged international donor agencies to consider Afghan refugees as refugees and provide them the facilities of health, education and other basic amenities of life in accordance with international standards so that they did not burden the local economy. He expressed these views on Thursday while presiding over a meeting regarding the management and repatriation strategy of Afghan. He also urged the international donor agencies to mobilize additional support for the local communities in Pakistan, especially in Khyer Pakhtunkhwa, who had been generously hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last three decades. This would help minimize the problems of illiteracy and militancy in this region. The Provincial Ministers; Arshad Abdullah, Sitara Ayaz, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Country Head, Mengesha Kebede, Joint Secretary SAFRON, Provincial Secretaries Information, Home, FATA and representatives of police, Frontier Corp and FIA were also present on this occasion. The Minister said that restoration of peace and tranquility in Peshawar was linked with peace in Afghanistan and until peace was restored in Afghanistan, the complete repatriation of Afghan refugees was practically impossible. He said that the people in Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had common culture, therefore, there is need for more simplifying the process of traveling and if possible the old system of Red -pass should be re-introduced. Arshad Abdullah while addressing on the occasion said that if the Afghan refugees wanted to live here, we should think about a law to give them legal status and accept them with open heart. Ms. Sitara Ayaz said that the provincial government would extend full cooperation to UNHCR in the process of repatriation and data collection of refuges. Mengesha Kebede thanked Pakistani government for hosting millions of Afghan refugees on their soil and extending all kinds of basic facilities to them. He said that UNHCR has mobilized additional support for local communities in Pakistan that generously host millions of Afghan refugees for the last three decades. He said in this regard, during this year, projects worth nearly 8.5 million USD of infrastructural development, water and sanitation, health and education, had been initiated through the refugee affected and hosting areas. He added the voluntary return operation resumed this March after the winter break. So far, 2,500 individuals have gone back home to Afghanistan. At least 3.7 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan with UNHCR's help since 2002.
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