THERE are about 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Their proof of registration (PoR) card expired last month, but it has been agreed between Afghanistan and Pakistan that a further extension shall be granted. In addition, there are at least one more million refugees in the country. Only about 40 per cent live in registered refugee camps where some services are provided by the international community.

In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says there are about 33,000 registered refugees, plus internally displaced persons (IDPs), who may often be taken for Afghans since most of them come from Fata, the border areas with Afghanistan.

In Islamabad, there was earlier a major refugee settlement in the I-11 sector, housing the poorest refugees, up to 100,000, a decade ago. Most of the refugees there have either returned to Afghanistan or they have moved to other locations, such the I-12 sector. At present, internally displaced persons (IDPs) mostly inhabit the area.

In the I-12 sector, near the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), there is a relatively new settlement, housing an estimated 5,000 refugees.

“As an interpreter, I often go to the refugee settlement in the I-12 sector,” Taufiq Ahmad Ghaznawi says.

He is working with the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid (SHARP), which is one of UNHCR’s main implementing partners in Islamabad.

“It is a sad sight. The shelters are all mud houses, and some plastic sheeting is used for protection against heat and rain. Animals are kept nearby. Health facilities and schools can not be found. The men are day labourers or they do other odd jobs and trade,” Taufiq says.

“The police often come to check if the residents in the area are genuine refugees and allowed to stay there. That is when I am called to help as an interpreter and explain issues,” Taufiq says.

And he adds that they should not be harassed because the settlement is recognised by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees, which falls under the SAFRON ministry.

Taufiq is himself a refugee who has lived in Pakistan since 1991. He came as a toddler of just 3-4 years.

“I received all my education in Pakistan, first in a private Afghan school here, and later at computer and language institutes. I began university education at Preston University in Islamabad but could not complete since I had to work to support my parents. I am very grateful for the opportunities Pakistan has given me,” Taufiq says.

“But it was never easy,” he adds. “My father suffered from cancer for many years and since we had no UN support, or remittances from any relatives, all we had came from what my elder brothers and I could earn. I became a teacher of English language, and since 2011, I have been with SHARP.”

“My father was a known painter in Afghanistan, and he became a professor of Art Education at Kabul University. As the Taliban became influential and came to power, they forbid all of it and we had to flee the country. My father died in exile without having seen Afghanistan again, and I have only been back twice over all these years. My mother is getting old but is still in good health,” Taufiq says.

“The refugee settlement in the I-12 sector is indeed a poor settlement,” Dunia Aslam Khan says. She is UNHCR’s public information officer in Islamabad.

“UNHCR has offered assistance to Afghan refugees to move back or resettle elsewhere in Pakistan. Some have taken our offer while others keep living in poor settlements such as the one in I-12.”

“UNHCR is only obliged to provide assistance to refugees in the camps. The settlement in I-12, and other refugee settlements and urban slums in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, are not entitled to international support. They only get legal aid support from us through NGOs such as SHARP.

“The donors provide funding to the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, not directly to the refugee communities in the hosting countries.”

“We also work with other organisations, and have recently had contact with Unicef and Unesco to consider cooperation for children. We also have a Letter of Intent with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) working towards including the refugees in mainstream ILO activities. Furthermore, limited assistance is from time to time provided by individual donors and organisations, such as the Hashoo Foundation, which has given some education assistance to the refugees in the I-12 sector,” the UNHCR information officer says.

“I am sure that we will receive more donations during Ramazan and especially for Eid,” Taufiq adds.

“I wish people and organisations could be as generous the rest of the year, too, because the poor refugees in the I-11 sector in Islamabad, and in other locations, do need help the year around. If they are educated and in good health, they are more likely to return home,” Taufiq Ahmed Ghaznawi says.