As per program of HRCP Afghan Desk Mr. Tariq Ahmad khan (Provincial coordinator Core Groups, HRCP Peshawar office), Mr. Syed Shamsuddin (Coordinator HRCP, Islamabad office) and Mr. Said Usman Sanjish (Asst. Coordinator Afghan Desk) conducted survey on Current Situation of Afghan Refugees in Islamabad on November 24, 2004 and prepared the following report.

A notice was issued to Afghan refugees in the sector 1- 2, Islamabad from Government of Pakistan to vacate their homes within two months. Total population of sectors 1- 2 Islamabad is around 55000 Afghan refugees in a near by villages of Islamabad established since 1982. Majorities of refugees are living in mud houses and there is not electricity and water system for refugees due to which they ate facing a large number of problems. Pakistan Government wants to eject all these refugees. Most refugees in this camp are poor and working on daily wages laborer. Refugees of this camp expressed their concern over this formula to vacate this camp. Expressing their concern they demanded extra time for vacating the camps. Most refugees of this camp have lost their family members and are very vulnerable refugees (women, children disabled). When I interviewed 3 people of this camp about repatriating and vacating their homes, no one was willing to vacate and repatriate to Afghanistan. They expressed their concern over security situation in Afghanistan and said, “until there is complete peace and stability in Afghanistan we will not go back” .

Mr. Tariq Ahmad Khan, Mr. Shams and Sanjish participated the meeting with member of Afghan refugees Shoora to identify the present problems of these refugees Mr. Haji Faqir Muhammad, member of Shoora, briefed HRCP delegation about the current situation of Afghan refugees residing in different part of Islamabad. He told that this is a very difficult point for the residents of this camp because on the one hand we have suffered much terrible situations and destruction of our country and facing all kind of miseries and on the other hand we have also suffered from the issues of the vacation notices by Government of Pakistan. We have lost every thing and lost even our children during the war.

Mr. Abdul Majeed, member Shoora, said, “ we can not leave this camp because this is the only shelter we have and can not go to Afghanistan as there is no security and peace and we do not have any place for shelter there.

Member of the Afghan refugees Shoora emphasized that we should conduct consultation meeting regarding current problems of Afghan refugees in Islamabad and should invite the representative of UNHCR, Government of Pakistan, and Government of Afghanistan for providing effective solution to this problem. At the end of the meeting they thanked Human Rights Commission of Pakistan for supporting the Afghan refugees.


Report by
Said Usman Sanjish
Asst. Coordinator, HRCP, Afghan Desk