January 9, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 24, 1422

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NOWSHERA, Jan 8: Member of the US Congress, Frank Wolf has said that Pakistan vindicated its principled stance by siding with the international coalition in its fight terrorism and establish lasting peace in Afghanistan.

Mr Frank, who is visiting Pakistan at the head of a US Congress delegation, was talking to the families of the recently arrived Afghan refugees at Jalozai and Shamshato camps near Peshawar.

He hoped that as the Taliban regime had been ousted and an interim power-sharing dispensation was put in place, the Afghans living in deplorable conditions in refugee camps would be able to return to their homeland and take part in its reconstruction.

The US Congressman said that he would take up the issue of Afghan refugees’ rehabilitation with the governments of US and other allied countries as thousands of Afghan children and women were living in miserable conditions at the makeshift camps, where there was no sufficient drinking water, food, medicines or other necessities of daily life.

Frank Wolf said it was high time to establish durable peace in Afghanistan so that the impending human catastrophe could be averted.

Earlier, the US delegation accompanied by UNHCR officials was given a briefing by the doctor in-charge of the Jalozai camp health centre. The visitors were informed that 6,000 fresh refugees had reached the camp in small numbers over a period of one year.

The doctor told the delegation that the population of the camp was more than 60,000 and that the Pushto-speaking refugees had been shifted to another camp in the Bajaur tribal agency. He said most of the refugees were suffering from pneumonia, skin diseases and stomach disorders.

The visiting Congressmen were informed that three basic health units had been established at the camp, which worked round the clock to treat the ailing Afghans.