16 mud houses in Afghan refugees camp demolished

MANSEHRA: About 16 mud-houses of Afghan refugees were demolished following their inmates left Ichrian camp situated near Hazara Motorway for somewhere else in pursuance of government policy.

“The 16 families left Ichrian camp on the first day of our operation, which is aimed at relocating more than 499 families from here and Sheikabad camp to somewhere else,” Mohammad Saeed, head of security, told reporters on Thursday.

A joint team of police, Secretariat of Afghan refugees and other relevant departments, led by district officer Afghan refugees Abdullah Khan, launched the operation to get the Ichrian camp vacated.

The federal government had ordered closure of all such camps situated near the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and relocate Afghans to other camps either in Khaki (Mansehra), Haripur or repatriate them to their native country Afghanistan under UNHCR programme.

Saeed said that a total of 499 Afghan refugee families, with a population of around 4,217 people, would be evacuated from the Ichrian and Sheikhabad camps. He said that out of the total 16 families which left the Ichrian camp, six each were shifted to Haripur and Khawaja camps, three to Afghanistan and one to Mor Baffa area here in district.

In response to a query, Saeed said the operation to vacate both the camps would hardly take one month.