KOHAT, Oct 2: Hundreds of Afghan refugees who had been denied entrance into Pakistan, have started crossing border through a new Tabbi-Kandhao-Teerah route — from Jalalabad to Orakzai Agency.

A highly placed source told Dawn on Monday that about 800 to 1000 DPs, were entering Pakistan daily. They first travel through some transport from Tabbi in Jalalabad to Kandhao a border town near the Khyber Agency and then on foot to Teerah in the Orakzai Agency.

He said after the government put ban on the entry of Afghans from the selected checkposts, from where only sick were being allowed to enter Pakistan, they have started crossing from unmanned points.

He said after receiving these reports the agencies concerned such as the UNHCR and the Afghan commissionerate are considering more camps in Orakzai Agency, Hangu, Thall and Kohat.

Meanwhile, the Edhi Foundation has put five teams on stand-by to be dispatched to Parachinar in the Kurram Agency, Miranshah in the North Waziristan Agency, Thall, Hangu and Kohat.

Brig Sanaullah Khan Tareen, in charge of the Edhi operations in the NWFP told this correspondent on Monday that 63 relief camps had been already functioning in the region from where staff and logistics could be moved to these new areas any time in case of US attacks. He said earlier it had been decided to establish camps in these areas “if war or no war” to support the UNHCR in its relief operations but now the it had been postponed for the time being after reports that there would be no war in the region but a secret operation.