JALALABAD (Pajhwok): After a 10-day closure of the Torkham crossing, 545 Afghan families returned to the country from Pakistan during the past two days, the Refugees and Repatriation Department of eastern Nangarhar province said on Monday.
The Torkham crossing was closed against pedestrians and all types of vehicular traffic after the security forces of Afghanistan and Pakistan traded fire. The gate was reopened on Friday morning.
Baz Mohammad Abdul Rahman, Nangarhar refugees and repatriation director, told Pajhwok Afghan News 545 families returned to the country during the past two days through Torkham crossing.
Abdul Rahman said 400 families returned yesterday while 145 more returned the day before yesterday.
“All the returning families were registered with the refugees’ transportation department to get their primary financial and food aid.” Abdul Rahman added.
He said the Torkahm crossing would remain open for three days to allow Afghans with Tazkira (IDs) to return to their country and called on all Afghans living in Pakistan as refugees to return to their homeland.
“The security in Afghanistan is better than any other time, please come and live under the rule of the current Islamic government,” he advised the migrants.
The returnees are happy about coming back to their country.
Naqibulah, one of the returnees who returned with his family, said he was working in a brick kiln in Pakistan. He said it was hard to live there because no employment opportunities.
He asked the government to provide him assistance and employment opportunity.
Awal Khan a resident of Khas Kunar district of eastern Kunar province, had migrated to Pakistan in search of work. He also urged the government to provide him with job so he could avoid going back to Pakistan
Pakistan interim Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar recently said an effective policy had been agreed upon to repatriate all illegal Afghans.
aw/ma
