PESHAWAR, June 20: NWFP’s Afghan Refugees Commissioner Nasir Azam Khan said on Wednesday that Afghan refugees who had not obtained registration cards and were staying illegally would be repatriated or sent to new refugee camps in Dir and Chitral districts.

Talking to APP after addressing a function arranged by the UNHCR on the World Refugees Day, he said joint teams of the Afghan Commissionerate and police were distributing forms in areas thickly populated by Afghan refugees like Hayatabad and Taj Abad to get details about the refugees. He said the exercise would be expanded to other areas as 15 more teams would be constituted for the purpose. “We expect voluntary repatriation of 800,000 refugees every year.”

He said the data would be provided to local police for taking necessary action against refugees who had not obtained registration cards and were staying illegally in Pakistan.

He reiterated that both Kachha Garhi and Jalozai refugee camps would be vacated by the deadline according to the decision of the government.

When asked whether any refugee family had applied for shifting to Chitral or Dir districts where new refugee camps would be set up, he replied in the negative.

Answering a question, Nasir Azam said 1,375,000 Afghan refugees had been registered in the recent registration drive. He said that of 250,000 refugees staying illegally, 170,000 had returned to their country and 80,000 were missing.

At the function, he urged the refugee community to seize the opportunity and take part in development and prosperity of their country.

He said Afghanistan was in need of dedicated and skilled workers in all fields and Afghans had to take the lead in rebuilding efforts in their country.

He said measures were being taken to repatriate refugees from camps in the NWFP. He made it clear that the repatriation process was on voluntary basis and not a single refugee had been forcibly deported.

He underscored the contribution of the Pakistan government and people in providing health and educational facilities to Afghan refugees, more than 70 per cent of whom resided in the NWFP. He said 40 per cent of OPD patients in major hospitals of Peshawar were Afghans.

Responding to points raised by an Afghan elder, Nasir Azam said negotiations were continuing with NGOs for setting up 50 more schools in refugee camps. He said every refugee camp had facilities of basic health units, schools and drinking water, adding that an NGO was planning to open higher secondary schools in the camps.

Abdi Adar, head of the UNHCR sub-office Peshawar, said the number of refugees had increased after the Iraq war and about 1.5 million Iraqis had shifted to other countries. He said Afghans topped the number of refugees all over the world.

Honorary Consul-General of Japan Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi also addressed the function. Different NGOs had set up stalls on the occasion.—APP