Summary Registered Afghan refugees were given an ultimatum earlier to leave by December 31 this year
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal cabinet has approved further extension in stay of Afghan refugees in Pakistan by one year in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday.
The premier convened a meeting of the cabinet in the federal capital during which decisions over different issues of national interest were taken.
According to the current understanding, registered Afghan refugees can stay in Pakistan until December 31 but the revision of the issue has extended the stay of those refugees who are registered with the federal government until December next year.
The cabinet is also likely to approve release of funds for purchase of piece of land for construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
A briefing is scheduled for the participants of the meeting over prevailing situation of imports and sharp plunge in the sector while an approval of understanding with Indonesia in defence sector is also likely to be given.
Premier-chaired session will confirm decisions of the committee for privatization and those of Economic Coordination Committee that were taken in their previous meetings.
While addressing the participants, the Prime Minister directed that transperancy must be maintained while distribution of compensation money to the affectees in Diamer-Bhasha Dam land matter.
He also said that Afghans were brothers to Pakistanis and concrete steps would be taken for facilitation of the refugees until December 2017.
Lacs of Afghan refugees had turned to Pakistan after Soviet-Afghanistan war that lasted nine years in 1980s and 1990s. Families settled in different cities and generations of whom still reside in Pakistan, burdening the economy.
According to the latest report of UNHCR, over a lac of refugees have returned to Afghanistan in July and August out of the total of 1.5 million registered persons while those who are unregistered are in equal numbers.
Know more: 100,000 Afghan refugees return from Pakistan: UNHCR
Last month, a similar meeting chaired by the Prime Minister approved introduction of Rs 10 coin in the currency range.
Prime Minister’s Sustainable Development Goals Programme was also given a go-ahead in the last meeting.
WATCH VIDEO:
