PESHAWAR, Sept 7: The federal government has extended till April 2008 the deadline to close the Jalozai refugee camp in Nowshera district.

Elders of the camp signed an agreement with the Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees (CAR) here on Friday. About 50 elders and CAR commissioner Nasir Azam signed the agreement under which the refugees would voluntarily vacate the camp by April 30, 2008.

Under the agreement, voluntary repatriation and subsequent vacation of the camp will begin from March 1, 2008.

Federal secretary for State and Frontier Region Sajid Hussain Chatta, UNHCR’s country head Guenet Gubre-Christos, Afghan refugees’ chief commissioner Abdur Rauf Khattak and Afghan Ministry of Refugees Repatriation director Dr Abdul Hameed Ahmadzai witnessed the signing ceremony.

The previous deadline to wind up the camp was Aug 31, 2007.

So far 1,000 Afghan families have been repatriated to their country.

The UNHCR had last month requested Islamabad to suspend the evacuation plan on the grounds that such a large number of displacements could create humanitarian crisis.

Over 100,000 refugees are still living in the Jalozai camp.

Sajid Hussain Chatta on the occasion said the government had extended the deadline on the humanitarian ground as the month of Ramazan and winter season were approaching.

He assured the refugees that government would not force them to vacate the camp and was ready to provide an alternative place for their relocation. He expressed the hope that the camp elders would honour the agreement and cooperate with the authorities.

The UNHCR and Afghan government welcomed the decision.