May 25, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 08, 1428

CHITRAL, May 24: At a press conference held recently, the people of Chitral expressed their opposition to the possible relocation of Afghan refugees to their area.

Refugees from their camps in Peshawar, Nowshera, Bannu and other districts of the province are likely to be moved to Chitral and Upper Dir. In this connection UNHCR officials visited Chitral recently.

However, the move is being opposed by the Chitralis who argue that the influx of thousands of refugees will further strain the area’s scarce resources.

Residents expressed the fear that given the area’s proximity to Afghanistan, the arrival of large numbers of Afghan refugees would provide foreign militants an opportunity to intrude into Chitral.

They also accused Afghans of damaging Chitral’s forests over the past three decades by cutting trees down for fuel purposes.

According to one businessman, the price of one maund (40kg) of firewood has risen to Rs200, though it was only Rs15 in the early ‘80s.

At the press conference, tehsil nazim of Chitral Sartaj Ahmed Khan expressed his determination to resist the refugees’ entry at any cost.

He said the price of goods for daily consumption had risen after the closure of the Lowari Pass. The arrival of thousands of people would make the situation worse.