Pak. to clear Afghan camp

ISLAMABAD, JULY 8. The Pakistan Government intends to clear more than 60,000 Afghan refugees from a camp on the outskirts of Peshawar within three months, the Minister in charge of the programme said.

Mr. Abbas Sarfaraz Khan, Minister responsible for camps housing an estimated 1.65 million Afghans, said he wanted to start a screening programme to determine which residents of Nasir Bagh should be sent home or transferred to other camps. ``Within the shortest period time, let me say not even 90 days, we want the screening process to be completed so that the camp can be cleared and construction work can start on low-income housing,'' he said.

The planned clearance of Nasir Bagh to build housing for civil servants is part of a broader clampdown on Afghan refugees, but one that has created friction with the U.N.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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