70,000 Afghans may get refugee status
By Zulfiqar Ali - DAWN

PESHAWAR, May 2: Pakistan and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR) are close to an agreement on the registration of more than 70,000 Afghan refugees camped at Jalozai, sources told Dawn here on Sunday.

Highly-placed sources said that Islamabad was gradually softening its policy towards the Afghan DPs and other issues related to them. Similarly, the UNHCR has offered more incentives to Pakistan in this regard.

The sources said: "Positive developments are taking place at high level in Islamabad and various hurdles in the way to good working relationship between Pakistan and the UNHCR have almost been removed."

Sources remarked that a major breakthrough was expected during the forthcoming visit of UNHCR chief Dr Lubbers, who is likely to arrive in Islamabad on Friday. Modalities for the registration of the displaced people would also be chalked out during Mr Lubbers meeting with the Pakistani officials, sources added.

"If the international body agreed to Islamabad's point of view, the 70,000 DPs would be granted refugee status and they would be settled near the Jalozai makeshift camp," sources claimed.

Differences between Pakistan and the UNHCR had surfaced when Islamabad linked the verification of more than 12,000 displaced families with the opening of camps inside Afghanistan.