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KABUL: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khand has issued instructions to let registered Afghan refugees open bank accounts in the country.
“I haveissued instructions today (Monday) that Afghan refugees who are registered can open bank accounts and from snow onwards they can participate in the formal economy of the country,” he tweeted.
He added that the decision should have been taken a longtime ago.
This comes after a three-month winter break, the United Nations refugee authority (UNHCR) will be resuming its voluntary repatriation process for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan from next month.
In this regard, Pakistan-based refugees who wish to return to Afghanistan voluntarily, have been directed to contact their nearest facilitation centre, Pakistan media reported Monday.
The announcement, recently made, stated that those Afghan refugees who had valid proof of registration cards (POR), could register with the UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Centres (VRC) at the Azakhel refugee camp in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) or in Balili area of Quetta district in Balochistan. While commenting on the repatriation process, UNCHR Solution Strategy Unit Director Fazal Rabi said that last year they had repatriated over 15,000 individuals. He added that a meeting on repatriation and facilitation of Afghan refugees is expected to be held soon where the issue will be deliberated in greater detail.
He added that they had established two centres and two entry points for refugees. One of these is located on the Chaman border with Afghanistan in Balochistan while the second centre was at the Torkham entry point in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
“Through these points, we will start repatriation from the first of March,” he said.
