Pakistan favours voluntary return of Afghan refugees, says minister.

ISLAMABAD -- Voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their country in safety and dignity will be preferred by Pakistan, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Senator Mohammad Talha Mahmood said on Monday.

According to the government, Pakistan currently hosts 1.3 million registered refugees, with around 250,000 people having arrived from Afghanistan since August 2001.

Mr Mahmood said this during a ceremony held in connection with World Refugee Day. The day is observed to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.

The theme of the day this year is 'Whoever. Wherever. Whenever. Everyone has the Right to Seek Safety'. Representatives of the government, international community and partners as well as refugees attended the ceremony.

Draws world attention towards financial challenges in keeping over 3m Afghans

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) thanked Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees despite facing challenges of its own.

Mr Mahmood drew the attention of the international community towards the financial challenges that had resulted from keeping more than three million Afghans in the country.

The international community must come forward to play its role to share these burdens with Pakistan in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, the minister said.

Meanwhile, in a message on the occasion of World Refugee Day, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said more should be done for refugees everywhere and for the countries that host them.

Across the world, refugees have brought new life, prosperity and rich cultural diversity to their host communities, he said, adding that, 'they must not face discrimination on borders or be unfairly...