KABUL, FEB 18 (DNA) – President Ashraf Ghani says all Afghan refugees should return back to Afghanistan particularly from Pakistan in next twenty four months.

Speaking during a gathering to mark the 29th year of the withdrawal of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan , President Ghani said the government is committed to bring changes in its priorities in a bid to pave the way for the return of the refugees.

President Ghani further added that he wants all the refugees to return to the country in the next 24 months.

This comes as the foreign ministry of Pakistan in reaction to a drone strike on Haqqani terrorist network member said last month that “Pakistan has also been stressing the need of early repatriation of Afghan refugees as their presence in Pakistan helps Afghan terrorists to melt and morph among them.”

The Minister of Interior of Pakistan Ahsan Iqbal had earlier said that the return of Afghan refugees is prerequisite to deny safe havens to the Afghan militants.

Iqbal told reporters that around three million refugees still reside in Pakistan emphasizing that no one should expect that the country would be able to certify those involved in the cross-border terrorist activities.

According to Iqbal, Pakistan cold only guarantee having no terrorists on its soil when all refugees return to their homeland.=DNA

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