The police arrested over 20 suspects in a search operation at the Afghan camps but are yet to reach the real culprits. PHOTO: FILE
Last week, a group of five armed Afghan robbers barged into the Chowk Syedan Branch of United Bank Limited in Khalabat Township and made off with Rs1.6 million in broad daylight. They also shot injured a bank guard. The police arrested over 20 suspects in a search operation at the Afghan camps but are yet to reach the real culprits.
“Enough is enough. We are fed up with such incidents taking place in our area,” Babar Khan, a local, said. He accused the refugees of being involved crimes such as waylaying, burglary, robbery, car lifting, kidnapping, drugs and arms smuggling.
He further pointed out the frequently-targeted areas by Afghan robbers, are: Khalabat Township, Dhenda, Kalas, Padhana, Chohar Sharif, Kalas, Meelam, Aalam, Panian, Bhera, Kaloopind, Baso Maira, Dhamkar Colony and other localities situated close to Padhana and Panian Afghan camps.
Siddique Awan, a resident of Dhenda, said that owing to a lack of monitoring, the involvement of Afghan criminals was going unchecked. This, he added, was the driving wedge between the locals and the refugees.
Shah Farman, a resident of Padhana village, demanded that if it was not possible to repatriate them before June 30, then the Afghan refugees should at least be restricted to their camps.
When approached, a police source requesting anonymity, confirmed the crime ratio. Investigations have revealed that Afghan criminals are involved in different crimes, he said adding that since they are easily accessible they are hired and used by local criminals as well.
The incidents of bank robbery, kidnapping of a local lawyer for ransom and his killing last year were the two main cases where the involvement of Afghan refugees was on the record.
An official source in Afghan Refugee District Officer said that with the growing population of refugee camps and lack of resources, the proper monitoring of camps was not possible. However, the source added, we keep on warning the Afghan tribal chiefs and camp in-charges to report criminal activities to the police.
On the other hand, Khaksar Khan, an elder of Afghan camp, rejected the allegations adding that they have a tribal setup and anyone ever found violating the Pakistani law is punished by handing him over to police.
He told that whenever police launched operation against any criminal the Afghan elders have extended their support as they never “want to violate law of a country which has hosted them for three decades”.
He told that it was true that each of the Afghan refugee was not of the same character and habits as they were from different ethnic background. But the criminals were not acceptable to our society, Khaksar added.
Baidar Khan, another Afghan elder, told that although following suspension of financial assistance from foreign donor agencies, some Afghan refugees might have been involved in minor theft cases, treating them all with an iron hand was unjustified.
He added that the Afghan refugees were supporting the local economy contributing their share in a more positive manner. “We are offering the cheapest labor to local market, have invested millions in the business and pay taxes to the government,” he added suggesting that those who were involved in criminal activities should be punished but those with clean character be allowed to stay in Pakistan beyond June 30.
Under a tripartite agreement, the UN Refugee Agency, governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan extended the voluntary repatriation of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan until 31 December 2012, offering $150 per individual of each family leaving Pakistan for Afghanistan voluntarily. However the process was further delayed till June 30, 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ