ISLAMABAD: By virtue of repatriation of Afghan refugees and tight security on Pak Afghan border, India not only terminated the condition of visa for Afghan nationals for medical treatment but also reduced airfare from Rs 40,000 to only Rs 4,000 and doubled the flights from Kabul to Delhi. This was said at the standing committee of National Assembly on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) on Thursday. MNA Muhammad Jamal Din presided over the meeting.
The committee was apprised that at present some 1.56 million Afghan refugees are registered in Pakistan but almost the same number are living in the country without registration. Out of them about 66 percent were living in camps and the remaining 34 percent lived out of camps. Approximately 74 percent were born in Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan had welcomed the Afghan refugees with an open heart but India was going to take advantage of it. “We should make the country better than India for Afghan refugees,” he added. It was revealed that several Afghan refugees had married here in Pakistan but those Afghan who would not go to their country would be treated as terrorists.
“There are 17657 Afghan refugees that are living in Karachi East and some 2571 are dwelling in Karachi West”, he added. Chief Commissioner Refugees updated the committee that the census for the refugees was held in 2005 and in 2007 those people who were included in it were registered. POR Card holding Afghan Refugees were not eligible for Pakistani passports, and were allowed to visit Pakistan thrice only. Some 15 Pakistanis also made POR Cards and their passports had been blocked.
He said that some 70,000 registered and 113,878 unregistered Afghan refugees left Pakistan after Eid-ul-Fitar .