Pak. assurance to UNHCR

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 2. The row between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Pakistan Government over the Afghan refugees has been resolved for the time being, following an assurance by the military government that it would not deport any of the Afghan refugees during the screening process.

The UNHCR, on Thursday, had suspended the programme for screening of the Afghan refugees in two big camps near Peshawar in protest against the controversial decision of the military government to deport 132 refugees.

The UNHCR has decided to resume the screening process from Monday after a meeting with the Secretary in the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Mr. Shafqat Ezdi Shah.

The official told the UNHCR that Pakistan was committed to the screening agreement and no deportations would take place during the screening process. The Pakistan Government has agreed to consider the cases of deported families, especially the unaccompanied minors.

While the UNHCR maintained that the deported refugees had been living in make-shift camps outside Peshawar where the screening process was on, Pakistan has contested the claim.

The military government had dubbed the deported refugees as new arrivals in search of livelihood and made it clear that Pakistan was in no position to absorb any more refugees.

For several months now, the UNHCR and the Pakistan Government have been engaged in a tug of war over the influx of the refugees. The UNHCR has been urging the Musharraf Government to allow free flow of the refugees from across the border.

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Section  : International
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