"Afghan refugees reluctant to go home"-- Daily Star, Pakistan

[TexasLawyer]

There may be a bit of a credibility gap regarding recent announcements that the Taliban is on the run.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_28-2-2005_pg7_29

Afghan refugees reluctant to go home

Monday, February 28, 2005

By Ghafar Ali

PESHAWAR: Afghan refugees residing in camps and other areas are reluctant to go back to Afghanistan, as they fear their lives are in danger due to the worsening security situation in their home country, revealed a survey conducted by Daily Times.

The Pakistani government recently started a 10 day-long census to ascertain the exact number of Afghan refugees in the country. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) will restart its voluntarily repatriation programme from March 7 this year. Around 2.3 million Afghan refugees have been repatriated under the programme since 2002. “We want to go back to our country but not now because no one is safe there. If the rulers do not feel secure then how can they ensure the people’s security?” Aimal Muhammadzai, an Afghan refugee living in the Regilalma area, told Daily Times. He said he had returned from Laghman, his hometown, two days ago because of the security situation. “Only people who can afford armed guards can live there,” he said.

There were other reasons why refugees could not go back to Afghanistan, he noted. He said there were no business opportunities as many refugees did not have land to build houses or provide education for their children. “My children were born here and are getting their education here.

<snip>

We should be allowed to remain here until the Afghan security situation is resolved,” he said. “People in Afghanistan are being looted and dishonoured and until Afghan refugees are provided with security we will not return to our country,” Muhammad Ishaq, who lives in the Kacha Garhi camp near Peshawar, told Daily Times.

Refugees were struggling financially, he said, adding they could neither build their homes nor establish their businesses in Afghanistan. In recent times, dacoits had killed many businessmen in Kabul and had hampered trade activities, he said, adding it was impossible to return in such a situation. Although there were reports of reconstruction in Afghanistan, the Taliban were still abducting foreign engineers which led to many projects being stopped, he said.

[TexasLawyer]

1. Qaeda regrouping: (Pakistan) Defence secretary

More on the growing Taliban threat, from a thread started this morning.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1269051&mesg_id=1269051

Qaeda regrouping: Defence secretary
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Daily Times Monitor (Pakistan)

LAHORE: Defence Secretary Lt Gen Hamid Nawaz said on Saturday that Al Qaeda was reorganising and spreading, Geo news channel reported.

Talking to reporters in Karachi, he said the US and Pakistan were continuing cooperating against terrorism and that there was no information of Osama. He said it was necessary to control Al Qaeda in Pakistan to stop it from getting access to nuclear weapons, the report said. He said Pakistan had rejected India’s proposal of signing a ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) and Siachen, the report said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_27-2-2005_pg1_6

[TexasLawyer]

2. self-kick

since I think this is important backdoor information on the current political and economic situation in Afghanistan.