ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has de-notified 10 Afghan refugee camps in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States & Frontier Regions, all lands within the de-notified areas will be handed over to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The notification, issued on October 13, stated that these 10 Afghan refugee camps were located in seven districts of the province.
In Dera Ismail Khan District, the Zafarabad camp has been de-notified. Similarly, in Tank District, the Dabara camp, and in Lakki Marwat District, the Gandi Khan Khel camp have been de-notified. Likewise, the Bizen Khel camp in Bannu District and the Zangal Patai camp in Malakand District have also been de-notified.
Two camps, namely Utmanzai and Munda, in Charsadda District have been de-notified. In Mansehra District, the Khaki, Ichrian, and Bareri camps have also been de-notified.
The notification added that all non-movable assets within the de-notified areas would also be handed over to the KP government. “The provincial government will ensure the safety and continued productive use of these non-movable assets by the local communities under its supervision,” the notification stated.
It is pertinent to mention that on September 25 this year, the Panian, Basu Mera, and Padhana camps in Haripur District were de-notified, while the Kalkatak/Kessu and Barawal camps in Chitral and Upper Dir districts, respectively, were also de-notified.
On the same day, 10 Afghan refugee camps in the province of Balochistan were also de-notified. These included the Chaghai, Poshi, and Lajay Karez camps in Chaghai District; Zar Karez, Katwai, and Ghazgahi Minara camps in Loralai District; and the Malgagi camp in Killa Saifullah District. Likewise, the Surkhab and Saranan camps in Pishin District and the Mohammad Khel camp in Quetta District were also de-notified.
A report issued on October 6 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Pakistan stated that 702,643 Afghan nationals had returned to Afghanistan since April this year, of whom 80,302 were deported.
On October 17, the government decided to expedite the dignified repatriation of Afghan nationals without granting any further extensions and to shut down all Afghan refugee camps across the country. The government also decided to establish additional exit points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to ensure the smooth return of Afghan nationals to their homeland. It reiterated that harboring illegal Afghan residents would be treated as a serious offence and violators would face strict legal action.
The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, Chief Ministers Maryam Nawaz of Punjab, Syed Murad Ali Shah of Sindh, and Sarfraz Bugti of Balochistan, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, and several federal ministers. However, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi did not attend the important meeting citing ‘urgent commitments’.
