PESHAWAR, May 31: The Nazim of the town council-III has verbally ordered Afghan refugees to close their education institutions and stop other commercial activities in residential areas of Hayatabad township in a week time.

After receiving the orders, Afghans sought interference of Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees to get the orders cancelled, as it would affect the education of thousands of children.

Afghan Women Council (AWC) chairperson Miss Fatana Gillani, who runs a model school in Hayatabad township, said that she had taken up matter with the refugee commissioner and requested him to ask the city district government to review the decision.

She complained that it was not possible to shift the educational institutions at such a short notice.

Around 12,000 refugee children are enrolled in private schools run by Afghan nationals.

The Nazim of the Hayatabad Union Council, Nawab Khattak, told Dawn that on behalf of Town-III Nazim Yaseen Khalil he directed the management of the education institutions, owned by Afghan nationals, to shift their schools from residential areas to commercial sector of the township.

The town council administration, he said, had asked the owners (local people and Afghans) of health clubs, clinics, internet cafe, estate brokers, schools, public call offices etc. to shift their business concerns from residential sectors of the township. However, those people in whose favour the concerned courts had issued stay orders had been exempted, he added.

Mr Khattak said that people of township had requested the city district government to ban commercial activities in the residential areas of Hayatabad.

The Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) had three years back ordered the refugees to wind up their education institutions in Hayatabad. But the decision was withdrawn, after court issued stay orders.

Peshawar Cantonment Board had also banned commercial activities in Khyber Defence Colony and Shami Road, and asked the owners not to use plots other than residential purposes.