Pakistan authorities demolish Afghan refugee camp outside Karachi, causing clashes

Karachi, Oct 15 (PTI) A few people were injured when protestors clashed with police during a demolition and clean-up operation by Pakistan authorities in the Afghan Basti (village) or refugee camp on the outskirts of Karachi on Wednesday.

The drive is being carried out now because some 8000 Afghans who were residing in the camp had returned home and left behind the concrete structures, including homes and shops, which are now being taken over by land grabbers, Senior Superintendent of Police West, Tariq Mastoi.

He said that there were only minor skirmishes during the demolition drive caused by rumours.  “There were minor skirmishes by some miscreants when we started the operation this morning, as someone spread rumours that the Afghans still living there with legal documents would be targeted, but after we explained to them what we are doing, calm was restored,” the SSP said.

Mastoi added that only a few people were injured during the clashes.

  “Since the Afghan refugee camp was established on a 200-acre government land some 40 years back, we are just demolishing the structures to repossess the state land,” he said.

Mastoi said that in more than 40 years, some 15,000 Afghans had built around 3000-3500 concrete structures in the camp and half of them had now returned home.

The operation would be completed in 2-3 days, after which the government would decide what to do with the land, he added.

He pointed out that for decades, the Afghans living in the camp had been treated with respect and given freedom to do their work, and Pakistan was a good host, but now state land had to be recovered after the decision to send illegal Afghans home.

The drive comes at a time when Pakistan is militarily engaged with Afghanistan. Civil and human rights activists and organisations have questioned the reason for the demolition drive at a time when thousands of Afghans have already returned home. PTI CORR RD RD