May 19, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1423

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HARIPUR, May 18: Over 70 Afghan families left for their country during the last two weeks, official sources told Dawn here on Saturday. However, independent sources claim that 200 families left for their homeland during this period.

According to sources at the office of District Administrator Afghan refugees Haripur, there were reports that 70 families had left Pakistan under the UNHCR’s voluntarily repatriation to Afghanistan, which is now relatively calm and peaceful than its recent past.

“Though we are yet to demolish the left-over kutcha houses of those who have vacated them for repatriation, yet we have concrete evidence of their exodus,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

Giving reason for not having complete information about the repatriating refugees, the official said that the UNHCR’s team visited the camp areas on its own and induced the refugees for returning home, adding that the local office was not properly informed.

Another independent source said that as the environment was getting better coupled with fast returning normalcy in most part of the war-ravaged country, more and more families particularly those unregistered families which had been residing in areas other than camps were opting to return.

“We will definitely return to our home but only after complete peace is restored in our country,” said Saeed Agha, who recently arrived from Afghanistan after carrying out certain maintenance of his earthen house which got destroyed in shelling.