CHITRAL: Under the government’s repatriation plan for Afghan refugees, 42 families residing in the Kesoo refugee camp departed for their homeland, Afghanistan, on Sunday.
According to details, these families had been living in the Kesoo camp for several decades. The district administration of Lower Chitral arranged transportation for their return, providing 11 trucks and a passenger coach to carry them and their belongings to the Torkham border.
The repatriation process was supervised by Assistant Commissioner Drosh, Muhammad Ali. Local elders of Drosh were also present on the occasion and paid tribute to the Afghan refugees for their contributions and peaceful stay in the area.
Representatives of the Afghan refugees expressed deep gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their hospitality, saying that the memories of Chitral would remain unforgettable. “Chitral has been our home, and we are leaving it with heavy hearts,” they remarked.
Following the government’s decision to repatriate Afghan nationals, the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees has formally closed several camps across the province and handed over their assets to local administrations.
Besides the Kesoo camp, the repatriation process from the Kalkatak camp is also underway, and both camps are expected to be completely vacated in the coming days.
