PESHAWAR: Afghan refugees on Wednesday demonstrated against denial of access to the special branch offices in Peshawar for document renewal.

Holding passports and Proof of Registration cards and shouting slogans, the protesters urged the government to step in and ensure corrective measures without delay.

Representatives of the protesters, including Abdul Hakeem, Wazir and Shafiqullah, said refugees had to keep liaison with the police and special branch but security forces were stressing them out by hampering their access to the relevant officials.

“We called the Afghan consulate officials for help but to no avail. The only option left with us is to hold demonstration,” Abdul Hakeem said.

The representatives of protesters also complained against the local police and alleged that the policemen sought bribe from them and if bribe was denied, they were threatened with detention.

They said majority of grownup Afghans did not have the relevant documents as they were born in Pakistan and were trying to get POR cards but faced problems.

“Young Afghans studying in local educational institutions have to appear in their examinations but they couldn’t step out due to the police’s excesses. There is a high likelihood of these students not sitting the exams,” Wazir said.

The representatives of protesters said Afghans wanted repatriation but since their houses in homeland were destroyed and that weather conditions there were very harsh, Pakistan should not force them into leaving, especially during the winter season. They demanded provision of POR cards to all young Afghans to stop the police from harassing them.

The representatives of protesters also urged the Afghan consulate to come to their help.

Published in Dawn January 29th, 2015

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