Afghan Consul General Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades and welcomed the return of Afghan nationals, stating that conditions in Afghanistan were now conducive for their repatriation.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Mohibullah Shakir said that when Afghan refugees arrived in Pakistan, the country set an exemplary precedent of hospitality by treating the migrants as brothers, without any discrimination between the host communities and the refugees.
He noted that Afghan refugees were granted equal access to education in the same schools where Pakistani children studied, and were allowed complete freedom of movement. “Afghan refugees earned a lawful livelihood here for many years, and we are thankful to Pakistan for this generous support,” he said.
The Consul General said that with peace now restored in Afghanistan, the time had come for refugees to return and contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland. He added that arrangements had been made at the Torkham border to facilitate the repatriation process.
He further stated that Afghan philanthropists were ready to assist returning families, and a high-level commission had been established to oversee the rehabilitation process. Returning families in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces were being allotted land and would be given opportunities for farming and entrepreneurship, he added.
