ISLAMABAD, April 28: The government has started the process of repatriating around 2.9 million Afghan refugees, including 300,000 unregistered, in the next three years and 205,000 unregistered Afghans have already left for home under a special scheme during the last six months.

The repatriation has cost $20 million, $15 million of which was provided by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the remaining $5 million by the Pakistan government.

This was said by federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind while talking to Dawn on Saturday after a meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Under the scheme, two camps in the NWFP at Kacha Garhi and Jalozai and two in Balochistan at Jungle Pir Alizai and Girdi Jungle will be closed and the dwellers will be repatriated to Afghanistan.

The minister said the government was determined to repatriate all Afghan refugees and for this purpose, it was in contact with Kabul and the UNHCR.