ISLAMABAD: Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt-Gen (retired) Abdul Qadir Baloch on Friday met Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah in Geneva on the sidelines of a quadripartite meeting on Afghan refugees.
The Quadripartite Steering Committee on Afghan Refugees includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The two officials discussed the return of Afghan refugees, both registered and unregistered, in dignity and honour to Afghanistan, Foreign Office said in a statement issued here on Thursday.
Dr Abdullah appreciated Pakistan’s generous hosting of Afghan refugees for the past four decades.
He said that there was a clear decision by the Afghan government that the Afghan refugees should return to their country and all efforts were being made for their sustainable resettlement in Afghanistan.
Dr Abdullah also appreciated Pakistan’s announcement of $500 million for Afghanistan at the recently concluded Brussels conference.
Baloch, while referring to the decisions taken by the last tripartite meeting on refugees held in Islamabad, pointed out that Pakistan was faithfully implementing those decisions.
“The Afghan refugees are our brothers and sisters and therefore we had a particular interest in their return to Afghanistan with dignity. We shall follow this principle in the return of Afghan refugees currently taking place,” said the minister.
Both Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch stressed the importance of close coordination between the two governments regarding the return of Afghan refugees.
