Islamabad, Dhu-AlHijjah 08, 1437, September 10, 2016, SPA -- Pakistan extended the deadline for the return of registered Afghan refugees by another three months amidst concerns about the initial December 31 cut-off date for voluntary repatriation, dpa reported. The decision was taken in a meeting of cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad. The cabinet approved an extension of the deadline until March 31, 2017. "Afghans are our brothers and very dear to us. Adequate and concrete steps will be ensured for the facilitation of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan," Sharif said in the meeting. About 1.5 million registered and an equal number of unregistered refugees are living in Pakistan. Pakistan has been coordinating with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, according to officials. The pace of the return has picked up in recent months as more than 100,000 refugees have been repatriated since July under UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme, according to UNHCR spokesman Qaisar Khan Afridi. -- SPA 11:21 LOCAL TIME 08:21 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w