The deadline given to Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan will end today, March 31, after which the process of sending them back to Afghanistan will begin.

Meanwhile, a jirga of Afghan refugees’ peace committee was held near Thokar Niaz Baig in Lahore, where heads of Afghan families and elders residing in Lahore participated.

Speaking to the media after the jirga, Haji Mohammad, Vice President of the Afghan Refugees Peace Committee, said that they have spent 45 years of their lives in Pakistan, and the love, respect, and honor they received here will always be remembered.

He appealed to the Government of Pakistan to carry out the repatriation of Afghan refugees in a phased manner, giving those with Proof of Registration cards time to wind up their businesses. He emphasized that women, children, the sick, and the elderly are also with them, and the government should set specific return dates for different tehsils and districts.

Mohammad Khan, the focal person of the Afghan Refugees Peace Committee, said their wish is that just as Pakistan hosted them for 45 years with hospitality, the process of repatriation should also be conducted with dignity.