Sherpao wants repatriation process monitored

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Monday stressed the need for carefully monitoring the entire repatriation process of the Afghan refugees.

A press release said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Pakistan Ms Phillipa Candler, called on Sherpao at his residence in Islamabad. Both discussed the prevailing situation with reference to the repatriation of Afghan refugees.

It was agreed that the repatriation process should be carried out keeping in view the principles of dignity and honour.As this remains largely a humanitarian issue and Pakistan has hosted them for an unprecedentedly long period hence that goodwill should not be compromised at any cost. Sherpao emphasised the need to carefully monitor the whole repatriation process so that alleged harassment and blackmail by police, etc, should be avoided.

He called for engagement at all levels and expressed his willingness to continue playing his role in the sphere of people-to-people contact for normalisation of the situation.