June 19, 2002	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1423

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GILGIT, June 18: The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has extended its branch to Northern Areas by appointing a liaison officer, informed sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The sources said that Dr Jamil, Vice Chancellor of the NED University who is also chairman of Pakistan Engineering Council, during his recent visit to Gilgit held meetings with local engineers and assured them of solution to the problems being faced by them.

Earlier, during a meeting with the PEC chairman, the Northern Areas Engineers’ Forum (NAEF) demanded effective implementation of the PEC Act to the region so that a large number of jobless engineers could be accommodated in various departments of the Northern Areas.

The NAEF also demanded that Northern Areas Public Works Department (NAPWD) be split into four autonomous departments like construction and works, electricity board, public health and irrigation.

The NAEF also demanded that departments of water management, soil conservation, town planning and city development authorities should be established in the five districts of the Northern Areas. They also demanded establishment of a technical college in Gilgit and Skardu towns.

AFGHAN REFUGEES: The Northern Areas Administration has activated its efforts to send back thousands of Afghan refugees settled in the Northern Areas, reliable sources said.

The sources added that intelligence and security agencies had been collecting data and information about the refugees who had been residing in the region since ‘80s.

The reason behind this prompt action against the refugees is stated to be security-related issues, the sources added.

The sources further said that nearly 7000 Afghans had been residing in the five districts of the Northern Areas and a majority of them had entered from the western district of Ghizer due to absence of any checking mechanism.