KABUL – President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani says all Afghan refugees shouldreturn back to Afghanistan particularly from Pakistan in next twenty fourmonths.
Speaking during a gathering to mark the 29th year of the withdrawal of theSoviet forces from Afghanistan, President Ghani said the government iscommitted to bring changes in its priorities in a bid to pave the way forthe return of the refugees.
President Ghani further added that he wants all the refugees to return tothe country in the next 24 months.
This comes as the foreign ministry of Pakistan in reaction to a dronestrike on Haqqani terrorist network member said last month that “Pakistanhas also been stressing the need of early repatriation of Afghan refugeesas their presence in Pakistan helps Afghan terrorists to melt and morphamong them.”
The Minister of Interior of Pakistan Ahsan Iqbal had earlier said that thereturn of Afghan refugees is prerequisite to deny safe havens to the Afghanmilitants.
Iqbal told reporters that around three million refugees still reside inPakistan emphasizing that no one should expect that the country would beable to certify those involved in the cross-border terrorist activities.
According to Iqbal, Pakistan cold only guarantee having no terrorists onits soil when all refugees return to their homeland.