Pakistani authorities have closed all shops and commercial activities in the Afghan refugee camp called “Guwahati” in the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and informed residents that the legal status of the camp has ended and they are no longer allowed to reside there.
The Pakistani newspaper Dun reported that the closure order was issued yesterday (5th of February 1404) and that about 20,000 Afghans living in the camp must leave the area.
A Pakistani official said: “Afghans can no longer live in Pakistan. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached an all-time low.”
Mohammad Gul, head of the Afghan Traders Union in the region, has asked local authorities to allow them to stay in the camp at least until Eid because many Afghans have borrowed money from local individuals and traders, and leaving the camp immediately would face serious financial and social problems.
