Article: Pakistani refugees begin to return home

SULTANWAS, Pakistan -- Crammed into rickety vans with electric fans and sacks of flour roped to the roof, the first of Pakistan's 2 million refugees have begun returning to their homes, after the army said it had expelled Taliban militants from some northern strongholds.

The civilians' return is unlikely to end Pakistan's refugee crisis. The military is preparing for a major offensive in a neighboring region, ensuring that other Pakistanis will be displaced.

The refugees have spent the past two months in crowded camps and squeezed into houses with relatives and friends south of the war zone and are eager to restart their lives. The government must now quickly restore electricity and water -- ...

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