PESHAWAR, Sept 2: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced a schedule for the registration of Afghan refugees as voters for the presidential elections in Afghanistan scheduled to be held on Oct 9.
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, IOM's regional head Stuart Poucher said registration of refugees would resume on Oct 1 and it would be concluded on Oct 3. Roughly 800,000 Afghans aged 18 and above would be registered so that they could exercise their right of franchise in the coming elections.
The IOM, which would conduct the registration and polling process in the NWFP, Balochistan, federal territory and tribal areas, would not conduct the exercise in the South and North Waziristan tribal regions due to security reasons.
Mr Poucher said that his organization would cover all areas in Pakistan except North and South Waziristan where security forces were conducting an operation against militants.
"We discussed security-related matters with the interior ministry officials in Islamabad on Wednesday," Mr Poucher said, adding that the government had assured full cooperation to the organization in this regard.
He said, however, the IOM would set up registration and polling stations in areas close to the South and North Waziristan regions where Afghan refugees could register themselves.
Giving details of the plan, he said 1,086 registration and polling stations would be established at 300 locations across the NWFP and adjacent tribal areas to receive 800,000 Afghans. He said it was estimated that about 2.5 million Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan.
The IOM regional office would function in Peshawar, while four field offices would operate in Kohat, Abbottabad, Mardan and Peshawar to facilitate the refugee voters. Balochistan would have a separate office, while thee was no arrangements for the refugees living in Punjab and Karachi.
Mr Poucher said five questions would be asked from registrants at the registration station: whether he/she is Afghan, has any ID (not an essential requirement), is aged 18 or above, left Afghanistan after 1979 and did not register before. He said registration stations would remain open from Oct 4-5 to display list and allow people to file objections.