The displaced people of upper Swat have started returning home while those of lower Swat will start returning after 15th July, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Najamuddin Khan told a press conference held at the Afghan Commissionerate in Peshawar on Tuesday, July 07, 2009.

Mr. Khan told media that people belonging to the upper Swat areas like Madyan, Behrain, and Kalam had already started returning to their homes in Swat while the IDPs belonging to Kabal, Matta, and Barikot would be able to return home July 15, 2009. He also told that restoration of civic services in the war-torn areas was about to start soon and the government will help in the area’s reconstruction and restoration of normal life.

The federal minister also spoke about the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, telling that about 27000 Afghan refugees had been repatriated since April this year. The process of repatriating the rest of the registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan was underway. The United Nations has agreed recently to give Pakistan $140 million to make up for the negative impact of Afghan refugees on Pakistan’s infrastructure.