PESHAWAR, June 30: The Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has termed registration of Afghan refugees staying in Pakistan essential in larger interest of the region. He clarified that refugees were not issue but the basic problem was stay of non registered foreigners at our soil wherein serious steps were required to fix it. This he said while talking to Afghan Ambassador designate in Pakistan Dr. Umar Zakhail Waal at CM Secretariat Peshawaron Thursday. Chief Secretary Amjad Ali, Secretary Home, IGP, Commissioner Peshawar and other concerned authorities were also present.
Overall Law & Order situation in the region, repatriation of Afghan Refugees and other matters of mutual interest were discussed threadbare on this occasion. Afghan Ambassador apprised the Chief Minister of the problems being faced by afghan refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He however appreciated the cooperation of provincial government and that of Police Department saying that he himself wanted that all the Afghan refugees go back to their homeland with honour soon. However, he said that the unpleasant situation of law
& order in Afghanistan forced the refugees to comeback to Pakistan. He assured to resolved hurdles in this respect. Pervez Khattak said that combating the challenges jointly by fore seeing the sensitivity of the circumstances was prime obligation of both the neighbouring countries. He said that basic issue was not of refugees but that of non registered foreign nationals as he said we were facing enormous threats at the moment and registration of all foreigners including Afghan refugees was a must in this regard. IGP Nasir Khan Durrani, while highlighting law & order situation, threats and security obligations said that there was no discrimination with the Afghan refugees in respect of identification but across the board checking was being undertaken of the people and even a Pakistani faced legal proceedings for not having identity card. The Afghan ambassador assured all out cooperation for peace in the region improving fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries and sorting out the problems faced by the people on both sides of the border.-PR
