Donors to discuss Afghan aid tomorrow
By Ansar Abbasi - DAWN

ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: Afghan Support Group (ASG), comprising all main donor countries and the UN agencies, is meeting in Switzerland on Dec 7 to discuss aid programme for Afghanistan.

A UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) representative in Islamabad told Dawn here on Tuesday that the ASG meeting, also attended by the UNHCR, would be crucial with regard to future funding for Afghanistan.

United States, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland (currently heading the group), Norway, United Kingdom etc are the members of the ASG which also includes different UN agencies including UNHCR, WHO, UNESCO etc. The US will reportedly be represented by Karl Inderfurth, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, in the meeting.

The group members would review the political situation in Afghanistan besides problems it is facing like drought, displacement of local population, non-availability of health and education facilities etc. On the basis of this review the ASG would take a decision on the future aid programme for the war-torn country.

The international donors have been reluctant in the past to provide enough funds to Afghanistan for the re-construction of country's ruined infrastructure owing to Taliban's rule. They have been linking the aid with the setting up of "broad-based" government in Afghanistan and never recognised Taliban government.

Pakistan, however, has been consistently demanding the international community not to link the aid programme with political issues so as to effectively address the humanitarian issues in the country.

To a question, the UNHCR official said though the ASG did not offer fund for refugees outside Afghanistan, the UNHCR had already launched an appeal to the donors for the provision of $229 million to address the Afghan refugees problem.

PAK-UNHCR MEETING: In a meeting between Pakistani authorities led by federal minister for Kashmir affairs Abbas Sarfraz, who also deals with the refugees subject, and UNHCR's local representatives in Islamabad, the Pakistani authorities again demanded of the UN agency to persuade the international community to offer additional funding to address the refugee problem.

Official sources said that during the meeting Pakistan had stressed upon the need of reconstructing infrastructure within Afghanistan and rebuilding of its irrigation system so that the refugees could voluntarily return to their homeland.

The sources said that the UNHCR was asked that besides opening up schools/colleges and providing health facilities for the local population, the UN should reallocate it slashed portion of the demining fund to clean mines in the area.

The issue pertaining to the fresh influx of Afghan refugees was also discussed by the two sides. Pakistan remained consistent with its policy of restricting the influx. It rather asked the UNHCR to set up refugees camps within Afghanistan for the displaced people as Pakistan which was already hosting almost two million refugees could not afford to have more refugees.

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING: A high-level meeting of the government which was scheduled here on Tuesday to review Pakistan's restrictive policy towards fresh Afghan refugees, was postponed at the eleventh hour owing to busy schedule of governor NWFP.

The meeting was to be attended by interior minister, minister for Kashmir affairs, foreign secretary, governor NWFP and other. The new date for the meeting will be given soon.