Pakistan holds a trilateral meeting of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad today to discuss a 10-month extension for Afghan refugees in the country. Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said that Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi, minister of refugees and repatriations, has gone to Pakistan to attend the meeting. A press release from Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations sent to media stated that registration and extension of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is the core agenda of the trilateral meeting. Hafiz Ahmad Miakhail, a press advisor at the ministry, said that they will request Pakistan to give Afghan government the opportunity to pursue and devise modalities for return of refugees as well as the possibility of shifting them gradually to safe areas in Afghanistan where the government will establish settlements. According to ministry figures, some 1.1 million Afghan refugees were in neighbouring Pakistan and Iran in 2016.
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