QUETTA: Activists of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) protested against the National Database Regulatory Authority (Nadra) for issuing national identity cards (NICs) to Afghan refugees. They demanded of the government to make arrangements for their early repatriation.

Protesting outside Nadra office on Thursday, protesters raised slogans against the prolonged stay of Afghans in the country.

Speakers claimed that 500,000 had been issued NICs and Pakistani passports out of the four million residing in Balochistan.

They appreciated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s policy of restricting the activities of Afghan refugees to their camps.

The BNP-M activists alleged that it was because of the presence of Afghans that terrorism, extremism and sectarianism had infested the country.

Speakers stressed on the government to immediately send Afghans back to Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2015

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