'Pull factors' can help re-integrate Afghans returning from Pakistan: Sartaj

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday suggested that with the support of the international community, United Nations High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) should assist the Afghan government in creating pull factors inside Afghanistan which would be helpful in the re-integration of Afghans returning from Pakistan.

The message was conveyed to visiting UNHCR chief António Guterres by Adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz during their meeting in Islamabad.

Mr Guterres is on a three-day ‘Ramazan Solidarity’ visit to Pakistan from June 22 to June 24.

During today's meeting, issues pertaining to Afghan refugees in Pakistan and their voluntary repatriation back to their homeland were discussed, Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said.

Mr Guterres acknowledged Pakistan's efforts in hosting the world’s largest refugee population for more than three decades.

In his response, Aziz also appreciated UNHCR's continuous engagement with Pakistan over the return of Afghan refugees.

During the meeting, both sides felt a strong need for donors to provide immediate, tangible and concrete support for re-integration activities inside Afghanistan.

It was also agreed that with the peaceful transition in Afghanistan and the commitment shown by the current dispensation, the time for successful repatriation and re-integration of Afghan refugees was appropriate now more than ever.

It will be the high commissioner’s seventh visit to Pak­is­­tan during the past 10 years. Since 2002, thousands of Afghan refugees have returned home with the help of the world community.

Guterres’ visit comes at a time when fresh emergencies in Middle East and Africa continue to engage global attention while the future of some 2.6 million Afghan refugees who have been living outside their country for over three decades still hangs in the balance. Around 95 per cent of the Afghan refugees are hosted by just two countries i.e. Pakistan and Iran.

Pakistan is hosting 1.5m registered Afghan refugees; 67pc live in urban or rural areas, while 33pc reside in 76 refugee villages. In addition, there are an estimated one million undocumented Afghans living in Pakistan.

Before coming to Pakistan, Guter­res visited Afghanistan in May and held talks with the Afghan leadership.