NOWSHERA: The Afghan refugees agreed during talks with the district administration here on Thursday to vacate the Azakhel refugee camp.

The action to get the camp vacated was being supervised by assistant commissioner Abdul Hameed Khan while heavy machinery was used for razing the mud houses. Heavy police contingent has been deployed for launching the operation. However, after successful negotiations between the AC and Afghan refugees the later agreed to vacate the camp without any resistance.

Briefing media persons, Mr Khan confirmed that the Afghan refugees had agreed to vacate the camp voluntarily, adding that about 1,500 families were living in the camp. He hoped that soon the camp would be vacated as 300 families were leaving the camp daily. He said that most of the Afghan refugees preferred to go back to Afghanistan. He said that the abandoned houses were destroyed immediately.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play