Pak. shuts the door to Afghan refugees

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 10. Pakistan has banned entry of Afghan refugees and ordered strict vigilance at all the entry points bordering Afghanistan.

While those crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan are required to possess valid documents, there has been a free flow of Afghans since the invasion by the Soviet Union over twenty years ago.

The ostensible reason for the ban is to prevent the opposition forces in Afghanistan from sending their supporters in the guise of refugees to carry out acts of sabotage in Pakistan. But there is something more than what meets the eye in the sudden realisation on the part of Pakistan on the mischief potential of the new Afghan refugees.

An important factor that could have compelled the Pak. authorities to impose curbs is the enormous socio-economic burden posed by the refugees. Pakistan hosts an estimated two million refugees and the number is mounting day by day.

There has been a spurt in the inflow in recent weeks. The worst drought in several decades and the unending civil war is driving people by the droves to migrate to greener pastures. Pakistan and Iran have been the favourite destinations of the Afghans on the run. According to estimates, over 30,000 reached Pakistan in recent weeks.

The presence of a large number of Afghan migrants has triggered a social unrest in the North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan with the locals forced to compete for the same cake of economic opportunities. The crime graph in these provinces has registered an upward trend.

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Section  : International
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