Army to facilitate refugees’ movement across Kohat Tunnel

Incidents of harassment have occurred even when travellers had valid documents.

PESHAWAR:

The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has asked the Pakistan Army to facilitate the Afghan refugees holding valid Proof of Registration Cards (PoR) for travelling to Kohat Tunnel, said a press release.

The move came after the K-P Home and Tribal Affairs department acknowledged complaints regarding harassment of the refugees holding valid PoR cards to travel to Kohat Tunnel, which is the only entry and exit point for Kohat.

The closure of the facility has badly affected the repatriation process of the Afghan refugees travelling from southern districts, Dear Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Hangu and Kohat to Peshawar and onwards to Afghanistan. The matter was taken up with the army authorities in Kohat, but no response has so far been received.

The complaints were forwarded the department by Commissioner Afghan Refugees, head of UNHCR office Peshawar, Afghan Consul General at Peshawar and the Ministry of Interior.

A tripartite agreement signed between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan and UNHCR also prescribed that the government shall retain responsibility for the safety and security of Afghan citizens while on the territory of Pakistan and during convoy movements en-route to the designated border area crossing points.

The federal cabinet has also instructed that all Afghan refugees who hold PoR cards can move freely from one city to another without any restriction.



Moreover, on the directions of the Minister of Interior and SAFRON, reports on harassment of Afghan refugees received from police and field administration which highlights that the army may be approached for redressing the grievances of the refugees.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2013.