Pakistan, Oct. 8 -- The final group of Afghan refugees left Chitral on Tuesday, marking the end of nearly five decades of Afghan refugees repatriation from the region. Forty-two families departed from the Kesu Khairabad camp in Lower Chitral, one of Pakistan's oldest refugee settlements established in 1979. Local residents gathered to bid them farewell, sharing emotional moments as both communities recalled years of friendship and cooperation.

Among those leaving was Maulvi Atif, who arrived in 1980 from Badakhshan province after losing his parents during Soviet airstrikes. He said he was returning home with his sons but would always remember the kindness of the Pakistani people. Refugee elders also thanked the government and residents f...