Tall claims: 134 mobile schools for Pakistani IDPs in Afghanistan
Thousands of families from North and South Waziristan agencies have crossed into eastern Afghanistan and most of them now live in parts of Khost and Paktika provinces. Most of the tribesmen fled North Waziristan after the security forces launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb against local and foreign militants in mid-June.
Muhammad Kabir Haqmal, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s Education Ministry, told The Express Tribune by the phone from Kabul that 54 schools started functioning in Paktika this week which accommodate 3,500 Pakistani children, while 2,000 children study in schools in Khost province. “We have recruited 54 teachers from the Pakistani refugees,” he added.
The UN Children Fund Unicef and the Norwegian Refugee Council have helped the Afghan government in the establishment of these schools. Haqmal said 93 more mobile schools will be set up in the next few days. He claimed that there were nearly 25,000 Pakistani families in Khost and 21,000 in Paktika.
Afghan officials earlier put the number of displaced Pakistani tribesmen at 100,000 – a claim disputed by Pakistani officials who say that many of those who had crossed into Afghanistan are now returning to the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2014.
COMMENTS (4)
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@Aisha
How are they refugees if they have Paki passports and live on the Pakhtun land. Remember Durand Line is disputed border in mountains which can't be monitored, not to mention the thousands of KMs eaten from the Afghan side during Taliban times, while we were fooled by the Punjab government as "Brothers".
Rather than dispute the number how about just saying "thank you"?
OHh really Mr, Fareed, they are hardly 75000 and its unconfirmed Data. they will be soon back we dont want to take any thing from AFgan, let me remind you there are no thousnd of refugees in Pakistan from Afgan ,, we have more than 3 millions and most of them have obtained Paksitani possport ..YOu guys are living for 2 decades in Pakistan ... so you dont have face to say like this.
They dont deserve it anyway why are we wasting our money and resources on these people. Let their government take care of them, they recieve funds for the operation anyway so they can spend only a small portion of the funds and take care of their own poeple - itis more than enough we have given them shelter given that fact that pakistanis keep shouting that Afghanistan should take back their refugees!