KHAAR, Feb 27: The government has extended the registration date of Afghans living in the Bajaur Agency. About 50,000 Afghans had been residing in the area illegally, officials said.

An official told Dawn here on Tuesday that the National Database Registration Authority had set up a registration centre in the Munda area of the Lower Dir district and Afghans had been directed to enrol themselves with the registration centre.

He said some 1,500 Afghans had registered themselves till on Monday and the exercise would continue for 15 more days. The staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Commissionerate for the Afghan Refugees was monitoring the registration process.

Informed sources said that a large number of Afghans were living in the Bajaur Agency despite the closure of all refugee camps there in 2005.