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 SIPDIS 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 -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On May 16, at the request of Balochistan's Home Secretary Tariq Ayub, law enforcement agencies bulldozed SIPDIS 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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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. ISLAMABAD 00002220 002 OF 002 BODDE