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| 06 June 2004 | Sunday | 17 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 |
Foreign NGOs warned about suicide attacks
QUETTA, June 5: Offices of the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Quetta and five other foreign NGOs have been warned against imminent suicide attacks on their offices, it was learnt here on Saturday.
A UNHCR official told this correspondent that the local office of the Commissionerate of the Afghan Refugee Organization had asked them to take strict security measures, saying it had received information suggesting that terrorists were planning to carry out suicide attacks on offices of six NGOs, including the UNHCR.
The Afghan Refugee Organization had informed about plans of suicide attacks, UNHCR's spokesman Babar Baloch told this correspondent.
Security had been tightened in and around UNHCR's Quetta office after receiving information in this regard, Mr Baloch said.
Sources said that other NGOs that have also been warned, included the Mercy Corps International (American), the Global Partner (British), the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA), the Concern (British) and the Tear Fund (French).
"Ex-Taliban/Al Qaeda elements are planning to blow up UNHCR and (other) foreign NGOs in Quetta," a message received by UNHCR and NGOs said.
It cited reports according to which a group of Taliban, headed by Mullah Hashim Sagzai, who was said to be residing in the Gridi Jungle Afghan Refugee Camp in Dalbandin, was planning to target offices of foreign NGOs in Quetta. "Only those NGOs will be targeted where US and British nationals are working," the message said.
The provincial home department officials confirmed that a letter had been sent to UNHCR and other foreign NGOs working in Quetta on different projects, including relief work in the Afghan refugee camps by Afghan Refugee Organization.
A home department official said that steps were being taken to protect these NGOs and the UNHCR.
The provincial government also beefed up its security arrangements after receiving information in this regard. Heavy contingent of police and other law enforcement agencies were deployed at offices of all foreign organizations, including the UNHCR.
Sources said that both local and foreign NGOs were facing difficulties in relief operation in Afghan refugee camps inside Balochistan.
The relief operation in the Mohammad Khel Afghan refugee camp was suspended the other day after being interrupted by the local people and an attack on a refugee as NGO officials were distributing food in the camp.
Levies arrested four workers of a foreign NGO, including its field in-charge and an Afghan refugee, on Thursday after disturbance in the camp. Sources said they were released on Friday on the interference of authorities concerned.
Similar incidents were also reported in other Afghan refugee camps in Chaman. "84 such incident have occurred in Balochistan's refugee camps during the past three months," the UNHCR spokesman said, adding that these incidents were increasingly affecting the relief work.
In a meeting held here, officials of local and foreign NGOs expressed concern over the occurrence of such incidents, saying the relief operation in refugee camps might be suspended indefinitely if such incidents continued.
The meeting urged the federal and provincial governments to take appropriate steps for the security of the staff of the NGOs working in the refugee camps.
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