29 September 2004	Wednesday	13 Shaban 1425

PESHAWAR, Sept 28: Preparations have been completed for the registration and voting programme for over half a million Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The programme has been initiated to provide a chance to refugees to take part in the Afghan presidential election.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which has been mandated by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to conduct polls abroad will set up 1,016 registration and polling stations at 300 centres in Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the IOM regional head, Stuart Poucher, said over one million Afghans, living in Pakistan and Iran, would be provided the opportunity to vote in the Oct 9 presidential elections.

"This has been the largest out of country voting operation for refugees ever held and the challenges have been immense," he maintained. Mr Poucher said the IOM had trained and equipped almost 20,000 staff in Iran and Pakistan for the Afghan poll process who would facilitate 600,000 to 800,000 Afghans in Pakistan and 400,000 to 600,000 in Iran.

"The turn-out of voters will be high," he said, adding that a large number of refugees had attended corner meetings in camps. The voters in the two countries constituted more than 10 per cent of the entire election, he added.

According to the criteria determined by the UNAMA all Afghan citizens over the age of 18, who arrived in Pakistan after 1979, would be allowed to vote. While in Iran, all Afghans who were legally living in Iran would poll their votes.

Mr Poucher said that for Peshawar 252 stations would be set up at 14 centres in various camps. He said that North and South Waziristan agencies had been left out due to security reasons while refugees living in Chitral district had been spared because of operational reasons. Replying to a question, the IOM regional head said that according to the MoU the governments of Pakistan and Iran were responsible for security.