Officials of United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday announced to repatriate Afghan refugees residing in four different camps at Lower Dir during the ongoing calendar year.
Though the UNHCR officials are yet to chalk out a schedule for voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees, the process usually starts in March and continues until October and November.
However, the UNHCR officials have made it clear that they were determined to vacate Lower Dir by December 31 2012. So far the UNHCR established a registration centre, Volunteer Center for Repatriation (VCR), at Khiaima area of Lower Dir, which was formally inaugurated by the UNHCR and Afghan Refugees Commissioner on Friday. Besides others, UNHCR Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Ahmad, Commissioner Afghan Refugees Zaheerul Islam, operational commander Colonel Kamran Aslam, Dir Lower DCO Mahmood Aslam and district administrator Afghan Commissionerate Sahibzada Biradar Jan were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the UNHCR provincial head praised Pakistan and Sudan for hosting Afghan refugees for more than 30 years. He said both Islamic states had rendered great sacrifices for refugees. He said the Afghan refugees had to complete repatriation to their homeland by December, 2012. “The government of Pakistan will no more be responsible for them after the due date,” he said, asking the refugees to make preparations for their voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan. He said townships had been set up in nine Afghan provinces where rehabilitation of the refugees would be carried out. About opening of the office at Timergara, the UNHCR head said it aimed to facilitate and asses refugees for easy and dignified return to their homeland. He urged the Afghan refugees to strictly follow the directives of the government of Pakistan about their repatriation. “Go to your own home and play an active role in developing your country, Afghanistan,” he said, adding that what Pakistan did for them was appreciable.
Ahmad appealed to the government of Pakistan and concerned authorities to keep open the Pak-Afghan border for refugees returning to Afghanistan so that they could easily go to their homeland.
