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CHAMAN, Oct 22: Pakistan security officials and the Taliban authorities on Monday agreed, in principle, to keep the shelter-seeking Afghans within their country, at a safe distance from the Chaman check post.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between Taliban’s Frontier and Tribal Affairs Minister Mulla Jalaluddin Haqqani and the Pakistan border officials.
The security forces then started deporting all those Afghans who had either sneaked in or forcibly entered Pakistan during the last two weeks.
Under the agreement, the Taliban would keep the Afghans within their borders at the settlements of Weesh and Spinbuldak. Humanitarian assistance for the Afghans would be delivered at those places. “Yes, the Taliban minister has agreed to establish camps for Afghan refugees in border areas within Afghanistan,” a senior Pakistani border security official confirmed to Dawn.
Accordingly, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees delivered 100 tents which were pitched inside Afghanistan.
“About 1,000 Afghans have been deported back to their country on Monday,” a senior official informed this correspondent at the check post.
On Monday, the reinforcement of guards on both sides of the border was more than visible. Taliban were much more in number on the edge of their border, keeping the crowd away.
Officials said that hundreds of refugees were taken into custody by the law enforcement agencies at different check posts between Quetta and Chaman.
UNHCR OFFICIAL: UNHCR spokesperson Fatouma Kaba told Dawn that the refugee body had made arrangements to accommodate 300,000 refugees. “But only after the Pakistan government opens up the border that help will be provided,” she pointed out.
None of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries were opening their borders for the Afghans who are now exposed to the worst bombing and commando attacks by the USA.
The spokesperson said that the UNHCR would explore the possibilities of entering Afghanistan to help the needy and vulnerable during Ramazan, when a ceasefire is expected.
Sources at Chaman estimated over 7,000 of Afghans who had entered Pakistan on Sunday and most of them had disappeared. The authorities concerned and the UNHCR do not know their whereabouts.
Besides, most of the refugees are living with their relatives in Chaman, Pishin, Quetta, etc.
The border with Afghanistan remained completely sealed on Monday from Pakistan side and there was no movement of refugees through the check post. About half a dozen check posts have been set up on the Quetta-Chaman highway.
“Even those refugees who possessed Pakistani identity cards were denied entry,” a source said. The only exception were a few old and sick men and women who were allowed entry into Pakistan for treatment.
Meanwhile, the law enforcement agencies have arrested about 48 people in connection with the Sunday attack on the check post and stoning of security personnel.
On Monday too, the security personnel fired warning shots into the air near the Chaman town to disperse a group of people wanted to create law and order problem.
