Voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan underway

The voluntary repatriation of the Afghan refugees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan is underway Radio Pakistan reported.

A spokesman of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Qaiser Afridi said that a repatriation center is already functional at Azakhel area of district Nowshera to register refugees who want to go back to Afghanistan.

The spokesman said the UNHCR is providing two hundred dollars to each returning Afghan refugee family at the centers after settlement in Afghanistan.

Earlier, Qaiser Afridi while talking to media persons in Peshawar said the repatriation will continue for next nine months.

The spokesman said that two centers have been established at Nowshera and Quetta for voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees.

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Qaiser Afridi said that at the time around 1.4 million Afghan refugees are living in different cities of Pakistan.

He said the voluntary repatriating Afghan refugees will get 200 dollars each on reaching Qandahar, Nangarhar and Kabul.

It to be noted that United States of America and the Afghan Taliban signed the peace deal in Qatar – the capital city of Doha after a long spell of negotiations, here on Saturday 29 February.

Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad inked the deal in an opulent hall in a five-star hotel in Dohar, Qatar.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quraishi attended the ceremony on special invitation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo witnessed the signing

A peace deal between warring parties comes after Washington had announced a “reduction in violence” (RIV) deal, which has largely held.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump emphasized Afghans to seize the opportunity for peace and “a new future”.

Donald Trump said in a statement, “Nearly 19 years ago, American service members went to Afghanistan to root out the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks. In that time, we have made great progress in Afghanistan, but at great cost to our brave service members, to the American taxpayers, and the people of Afghanistan.

“When I ran for office, I promised the American people I would begin to bring our troops home, and seek to end this war. We are making substantial progress on that promise.”

The press release issued after the signing ceremony guarantees the timely evacuation of US and allied forces from Afghanistan. the agreement also guarantees that Afghan soil will not be used against United States and its allies.