Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The Federal Secretary for Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, Arbab Shahzad, has said that government will extend the visa of Afghan students studying in different Pakistani institutions.

He said that they had already sent a proposal and policy to the Cabinet about the Afghan spouse marriages, student’s visa and traders to extend the duration of their visa and facilitate them.

This he said in a Skill Development Programme (SDP) organised by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions to empower Afghans and Pakistani youth across Pakistan here on Friday.

Arbab Shahzad said that the notion was wrong that the Government of Pakistan would repatriate all the Afghans from December, 2017. He added that the ministry of SAFRON sent a policy regarding Afghan spouses who are married to Pakistani females or males as they will provide the visa the duration of which will be one year, adding that such kind of relaxation were for the Afghan students studying in Pakistani institutions as well as for the Afghan traders.

On the merger of the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in KP, Arbab Shahzad said that already a consensus was built and soon the merger of FATA in KP will be announced.

Arbab further added that Pakistanis and Afghan people were living more than thirty years together and their culture, religion and language are the same and both the nations loved each other. He appreciated the UN Agency UNHCR and RAHA for providing a skill development programme to the Afghan youth, adding that with this skill development programme the Afghan youth will contribute in the rehabilitation of their country.

Chief Coordinator Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) Col. Yakub Mehsood informed that the pilot project cost Rs.30 million and over 700 young people up to the age of 25 years were trained. He added that students were trained in different categories like tailoring, computer, mobile repairing, electronics, stone masons, solar panel etc.

He added that such kind of programmes would continue to provide entrepreneurship opportunity to the Afghan youth through skill development programme through which they can contribute in the progress of Afghanistan.

On the occasion UNHCR country head Indrika Ratwatte emphasised the need to recognise and build on the young people capacities. “This pilot programme will empower the youth and is an investment in the future human capital of Afghanistan, this programme will have tangible results in the near future”, He added.

He informed that he will try his best to talk with other donor organisations to strengthen this skill development programme and empower the Afghan youth.

On the occasion a large number of Afghans and Pakistani students were also present who completed the course while Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugee Dr. Imran Zeb, Secretary for Industries Farah Hamid and other high officials were also present.

Convention: The Integrated Regional Support Programme organised a Convention with the financial support of the Free and Fair Election Network (FaFEN) on Friday in Mardan. The convention was attended by district Nazim Mardan Hamayatullah Mayar and a number of people from different political parties, civil society, lawyers, minorities and students.

In the convention IRSP programme manager Aziz Ahmad said the constitutional amendment was the need of the time and those parties who would include the recommendations of FAFEN in their manifestoes will find victory in 2018 elections.

Aziz Ahmad presented a charter of demand in which health, education clean water and also the relief of the deprived people were mentioned.