KOHAT: Around 12, 000 illegal Afghan refugees living outside camps in Kohat and Hangu could not be moved from the cities and adjacent areas as two camps announced for keeping them before their deportation could not be established as yet.

Divisional administrator Afghan refugees Badshah Khan told this correspondent that after the provincial government’s crackdown on the Afghan shopkeepers and property owners, two sites were selected with the approval of the UN’s refugee agency where these Afghans were to be shifted before deportation.

“We have to start repatriation of the refugees before coming October because under the UNHCR restriction they cannot be sent back after that when conditions will be very harsh in Afghanistan in the winter and they will face immense problems to establish themselves,” said Mr Khan.

Following the launch of crackdown, the Afghans last month sought more time so that they could wind up their businesses and sell their properties. The request was granted by commissioner, Kohat division, Syed Jamaluddin Shah. The third deadline in this regard had already expired.

Mr Khan clarified that it was the job of the police and district administration to expel them from bazaars and other areas, which fell under direct control of the deputy commissioners and district police officers. Moreover, the deportation process was a gigantic task and it could only be implemented by the government with the help of the UN agency.

Administrator says repatriation must start before winter

He observed that the process of deportation should have been started in a synchronised manner in which the UN agency would have released the required funds in time before start of arrests of Afghans and issuance of orders for their expulsion from cities.

“I don’t understand why the international community is delaying the process repeatedly despite restoration of peace in Afghanistan long ago,” he said.

“I visited the court a few days ago to attend a hearing of the deportation case of about 250 refugees who have been arrested by the police during continuing operations against illegal Afghans from the city’s outskirts. Despite the government’s instructions for their early deportation most of them were fined and then released,” the administrator said, adding that the deportation orders were to be implemented by the government.

Many refugees arrested during the continuing crackdown have been put into the lock-ups. Mr Khan hoped that the well-to-do Afghans and others would prefer to go back to their country with dignity and honour instead of shifting to the proposed camps in Hangu-Khisar and Kohat-Chechana.

He regretted that only sites had been selected by the government, but no arrangements were made for their living, provision of electricity, gas, food, etc.

The refugees’ administrator said that the international organisations should fully help the government, as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had no resources to establish camps and provide all amenities of life there.

Answering a question, he said that it was the responsibility of Nadra and intelligence agencies to take action against Afghans holding Pakistani national identity cards. “Our job is just to point out such Afghans,” he said.

A few days ago an Afghan refugee was arrested in Junglekhel area with stamps, original application forms, photographs and other required things for preparing CNICs for his companions. If such cases are properly probed the administration could trace the local people and officials involved in the illegal work.

Published in Dawn March 16th , 2015

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