Govt to relocate three Afghan camps in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: With the financial facilitation of Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would shift three Afghan refugee camps, coming in the way of Hazara motorway, in Mansehra.

The motorway is to be constructed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Kahaki, Sheikhabad and Ichrian Afghan refugee camps would be shifted to somewhere else in the district. According to officials the provincial government took upon the problem of the camps with Safron which the latter decided would be the three camps mentioned.

For the time being a total of 3,889 Afghan families which makes a total population of 22,748 people, reside in the three camps in district.

Khaki Afghan refugees camp, according to official record, has been hosting as many as 1,178 families consisting of 11,409 individuals. The Sheikabad camp has 1,031 families comprising 5,848 individuals and Ichrian camp has 1,079 families of 5,491 people.

Sources said that the shifting of the camps would be started by July 20 and the entire cost as a result of it would be paid by Safron that would take possession of land and build makeshift infrastructure for the refugees.

Development of Hassanabdal-Thankot motorway is on-going and these camps come either directly in its way or at a little distance from it. A graveyard near Sheikhabad camp has recently been shifted to another place.

“I have yet to receive any official intimation about shifting of these three Afghan refugee camps,” stated Naeem Shahzad Khan, the district administrator for Afghan refugees residing in Mansehra.

The district administration has already put into action Section 144 of CrPC to ban sale and purchase of land around CPAC in Mansehra.

Source: The Nation