MANSEHRA: The district administration on Tuesday formed special committees to ensure voluntary repatriation of Afghan nationals from urban areas.

“We have constituted committees, comprising police and revenue officials and local government’s representatives,to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Afghan Citizen Card holders settled in the district’s urban localities,” deputy commissioner Khalid Iqbal told reporters following a high-level meeting.

The meeting was chaired by the DC and attended by assistant commissioners of Mansehra, Balakot, Oghi, Baffa-Pakhal and Darband tehsils, chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils, and police officials.

The participants reviewed the ongoing repatriation of Afghan refugees from urban areas.

The committees were tasked with visiting Afghan families to encourage them to return to their homeland under the voluntary repatriation programme of the federal government and UNHCR.

“We want to ensure a dignified return of Afghan nationals. They will be provided with travel costs and other assistance announced by the government and UNHCR,” Mr Iqbal said.

He added that committee members would directly approach Afghan families with village and neighbourhood council chairmen and motivate them to leave this country to their homeland.

“The district administration has already developed a mechanism to ensure smooth and voluntary refugee repatriation,” he said.

Meanwhile, district administrator for Afghan Refugees Mohammad Ali said the committees were formed to facilitate the hassle-free return of refugees with Afghan Citizen Cards.

“We still have 1,651 families at the Khaki [refugee] Camp, 500 at the Barari Camp and 300 at the Ichrian Camp,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025