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Nancy says US committed to support Pakistan on Afghan refugees
ISLAMABAD: US Deputy Secretary of State Nancy Izzo Jackson, who is a career member of the Senior Executive Service, and served as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, called on Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch here on Tuesday.
During the meeting, she lauded and appreciated the generous hosting of Afghan refugees by Pakistan for so many decades. She said that the US was committed to support Pakistan on the issues of the Afghan refugees. She said that she would discuss in her next visit to Kabul the land allocation to the Afghan refugees by the Afghan government.
The minister thanked the deputy secretary for her concerns regarding repatriation of the Afghan refugees. He said that each and every effort for successful repatriation of the refugees lies in Afghanistan. He said that the US should workout the strategy to chalk out a framework for successful repatriation keeping in view the security and economic situation.
He said that Pakistan sees the issue of the Afghan refugees as humanitarian problem and it should be seen as such aspect without any political factor. He said that Pakistan has been facing multiple and complex problems due to the Afghan refugees. He said that counters should be set up to facilitate refugees coming at Torkham border.
On the occasion, the minister also said that the package given by UNHCR was a major factor in repatriation. He asked the visiting American official to work with Afghanistan to create a pull factor in the country to encourage refugees to return back to their motherland.