PESHAWAR, Nov 6: The NWFP government has decided to shift the displaced Afghans, scattered all over the province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to the refugee camps along the Pakistan-Afghan border by the end of November.
A senior government official told Dawn here on Monday that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) had been asked to complete the development work in 15 new camps by Nov 24 to relocate the displaced Afghans to the sites. “The government has asked the UNHCR to meet the deadline,” he said.
According to the official, the government is indecisive about giving refugee status to the new arrivals.
The UNHCR officials held a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf, but confusion still persists over the registration of refugees. The Federal States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Ministry was not clear on giving refugee status to the displaced people.
The government, according to the official, had directed the authorities concerned to prepare lists of the new arrivals, who have taken shelter in different camps.
The UNHCR recently estimated that around 65,000 Afghans had entered the province since Sept 11. The commission is seeking guarantee from government not to deport them.
Official sources said differences still existed between Pakistan and the UN over the establishment of camps inside Afghanistan.
The sources said that some Islamic relief agencies were ready to provide assistance to internally displaced Afghans. But some western NGOs and the UN disagreed with the proposal.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR has formally abandoned the screening of Afghan refugees at Nasir and Jalozai camps.
The agency has reportedly relieved 220 screening staff.
