Tears of joy as Biharis return

LAHORE (Reuter) - Bihari Muslims kissed Pakistan's soil as 323 of them arrived yesterday, starting the repatriation of some 238,000 Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh for 21 years.

A chartered plane from Uzbekistan brought the 63 families in the group to Lahore, capital of Punjab province, from the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka. Many of the children touched the feet of Punjab's Chief Minister, Ghulam Haider Wyne. Their elders, with tears of joy, bowed and kissed the ground as they arrived at Lahore airport in pouring rain. Pakistani authorities said the Urdu-speaking Biharis would be settled in Punjab.