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Insecurity in Pakistan Causes Afghan Refugees' Repatriation

Politics Materials 4 November 2008 16:12 (UTC +04:00)

Afghanistan, Kabul, 4 November / corr Trend A.  Hakimi / The United Nations has said the ongoing military operations in Pakistan are one of the main reasons behind the return of a large number of Afghan refugees this year.

Recently, United State Special forces concentrated their attention on terrorism sanctuaries in Pakistan and implemented several air strike on the other side of Durand line. These air strike are considered the main cause of insecurity in Pakistan.

So far, about 300,000 refugees have crossed over the border from Pakistan this year, an exodus the UN partially blames on the Pakistani army's attempt to crack down on militants in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Many Pakistani families have also fled the fighting in their homeland to join friends or family in Afghanistan.

A representative at the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, said: "About 99 % of these returnees arrived from Pakistan and about 1% is from Iran and other countries."

The UN says there are three main reasons for the return of refugees this year: an increase in global food prices, the closure of the largest Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan (Jalozai) and the Pakistani army's crack down on militants.

Since the Taliban regime was ousted from power seven years ago, about five million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, the majority from Iran and Pakistan.

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