PROTESTS AND CLASHES OVER BEGINNING OF CAMP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002220

SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL PTER PK AF
SUBJECT: PROTESTS AND CLASHES OVER BEGINNING OF CAMP
DEMOLITIONS

REF: ISLAMABAD 02197

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: On May 16, the Government of Pakistan began
the process of physically closing two Afghan refugee camps by
bulldozing several buildings. At Jungle Pir Alizai camp in
Balochistan, the action sparked protests and gunfire between
the Frontier Corps and locals, resulting in a number of
injuries and the death of at least one Afghan refugee. Both
Pir Alizai and Kachi Garhi, in North West Frontier Province,
are scheduled for closure between April 16 and June 15. End
Summary.

Jungle Pir Alizai
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2. (SBU) On May 16, at the request of Balochistan's Home
Secretary Tariq Ayub, law enforcement agencies bulldozed

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several abandoned houses at Jungle Pir Alizai camp in
Balochistan. According to Azhar Rasheed, Assistant Police
Inspector General, the action was intended to send a signal
to undocumented Afghans to return to Afghanistan and to
encourage legitimate refugees to either repatriate or
relocate to an approved camp. A crowd gathered in protest
and threw stones, injuring a number of policemen. Gunfire
ensued; Rasheed said no one knows who fired the first shot.
Media reports indicate the firing lasted several hours, as
armed refugees established positions on surrounding hillsides
and shot at authorities. At least one Afghan refugee died,
and a number of refugees and Pakistani locals were injured in
the violence. (Note: At this time, reports of the number of
injured range from six to twelve. End Note.) A crowd of
protesters blocked the main road between the provincial
capital of Quetta and the Chaman border crossing. UNHCR
Assistant Representative Killian Kleinschmidt told RefCoord
that four camp leaders were arrested and released several
hours later, after the road was re-opened.


3. (C) (Note: The process of closing Jungle Pir Alizai camp
was scheduled to begin a month ago, but Inspector General of
Police Tariq Khosa reportedly asked the federal government
for time to establish rule of law in the camp before
beginning the closure process. It is unclear why Khosa or
other leaders involved chose this time to begin demolition.
End Note.)

Kachi Garhi
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4. (SBU) On May 15, the Peshawar Development Authority began
bulldozing shops on the roadside perimeter of Kachi Garhi
camp, a few kilometers from the center of Peshawar in North
West Frontier Province. According to Shahab Saqib, a senior
officer with the Province's Commissionerate for Afghan
Refugees, some shops lost goods during the demolition. Saqib
claimed no houses were destroyed.

UNHCR's Concerns
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5. (C) UNHCR tells us that, while they do not necessarily
oppose demolitions, they are very concerned by the lack of
consultations and transparency regarding the May 16 actions.
UNHCR is a member of the general coordination task force
charged with overseeing camp demolitions, but UNHCR was not
informed of the actions and found out only when officers
witnessed the Kachi Garhi demolition taking place.


6. (C) Comment: Closing refugee camps will continue to be a
difficult and sensitive undertaking for the Government of
Pakistan. Government authorities have for the moment stopped
the demolition at Pir Alizai and are working with camp elders
to develop an effective and peaceful camp closure strategy.
End Comment.

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BODDE