PESHAWAR: The federal government has accelerated a major phase of the closure of Afghan refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the voluntary repatriation programme, speeding up the process of electricity disconnection, transferring water supply systems, and handing over all education and health facilities to district administrations and relevant departments.
Officials said the operation is being carried out on a district-by-district basis to ensure that no assets or facilities remain outside government control. Voluntary repatriation from all refugee camps is continuing alongside this process.
Federal government sources confirmed that the phased operation is being implemented with the cooperation of the provincial government, which is fully supporting the process. Earlier, the provincial government had strongly opposed the idea of shutting down all camps at once.
Across the province, a total of five Basic Health Units (NHUs) have so far been handed over to the Department of Health, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the education sector, seven out of 20 schools established in refugee camps have been handed over to the Department of Education, while the handover of the remaining schools is progressing rapidly.
In Chitral, both refugee camps have been completely closed. The camps were handed over to the Deputy Commissioner, and all movable and immovable assets and facilities present at the camps were formally transferred to the district administration.
In Mardan and Swabi districts, five refugee camps have been closed. Electricity supply has been disconnected at Gandaf Camp and Barakai Camp. In Mardan district, electricity supply at Kaghan Camp and Baghicha Camp has also been disconnected. In Malakand district, electricity supply at Jalala Camp has been cut off.
In Kohat and Hangu districts, electricity supply to all refugee camps has been completely disconnected. At the same time, the Water and Sanitation Services Company has started taking over tube wells in all camps of both the districts.
At Lakhti Banda Camp in Hangu, the Department of Education and the Assistant Commissioner inspected the schools. The handover process of the school is under way, however, the school was sealed by the Assistant Commissioner. In the health sector, the Department of Health, along with the Assistant Commissioner Hangu, has taken over the BHU Katakani in Hangu.
In the Haripur district, electricity supply has been disconnected, and Pesco is continuing the removal of infrastructure. In the Lower Dir district, electricity supply has also been disconnected at Timer Camp, Chakdara Camp, and Toor and Mayar Camps.
Officials said that the disconnection of electricity, removal and transfer of transformers, takeover of tube wells, and the handover of schools and Basic Health Units to relevant departments through district administrations are continuing across the province, while voluntary repatriation from all refugee camps remains in progress.
