QUETTA, Oct 3: Governor Balochistan Justice (retd) Amirul Mengal has said that Pakistan was not in a position to bear the burden of more Afghan refugees.

He was talking to a United Nation mission headed by the Undersecretary-General of UN for Humanitarian Affairs, Kenzo Oshima, who called on him on Tuesday.

He said that Pakistan has decided not to allow any more Afghan refugees to cross into the country as over two million Afghan refugees are already here for the last 20 years. He added, Pakistan has 2,500km-long border with Afghanistan and it was not possible for the government to completely close it.

The governor informed the UN mission that those who do manage to cross through non-traditional routes will be kept at refugee camps and their movement would be restricted.

“We are short of water as during the last four years most parts of Balochistan did not receive enough rain which worsened the water problem in the province,” he said

He said that the United Nations and other international agencies will have to play their role in this regard and extend all possible help to Pakistan.

Referring to the role of the NGOs the governor said that only a few were effectively working and relief work could be launched through them.

The UN undersecretary said that the United Nations was expecting a huge influx of Afghan refugees into Pakistan which need greater assistance and cooperation from the Balochistan government to launch relief work for the new arrivals.

The head of the UN mission informed the governor that the United Nations was making arrangements in this respect and to launch this massive programme the UN would need help and assistance of both the federal and the provincial governments.

He said that the UN was also planning to involve NGOs in this great task.

REFUGEES HELD: The law enforcement agencies have arrested 245 Afghan refugees who entered into Pakistan without having legal travelling documents on Wednesday.