Closer of Jalozai refugee camp extended

PESHAWAR—Thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan’s largest refugee camp have won a temporary reprieve after an official closure date set by Islamabad was postponed by about six months. “Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has ensured that the Jalozai refugee camp will not be closed down until March 2008,” a UN website reported. “We believe Pakistan has helped us to avert a possible humanitarian tragedy in the coming winter,” it quoted an Afghan official. Faridullah Khan, an official with the Afghan Refugees’ Commission here confirmed the latest news, adding: “An agreement will be signed in the very near future to formalise the extension.” The weekend development was well received by residents of the camp, many of whom were unsure what to do, especially with winter approaching. Abdul Hamid Ahmadzai, an Afghan diplomat in Peshawar said after days of constant worry and stress refugees in the camp were now relieved Pakistani security forces in the area had been instructed not to demolish the camp. But despite the passing of the 31 August deadline, the future of the camp’s tens of thousands of residents remains tenuous. Jalozai, which is the largest and one of the oldest refugee camps in the country, is 35km southwest of Peshawar, and was established in the 1980s after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Earlier this year the camp, one of 85 in the country, had a reported population of 110,000. Some 14,000 have since opted for repatriation. Pakistan decided to close four camps in the country this year, including Jalozai, after claims they harboured criminal elements and cross-border insurgents - a contentious issue that Islamabad has been keen to resolve.—Online