Afghan Census in Pakistan:
There had been n0 pr0per
d0cumentati0n 0f
Afghans living in the c0untry
since their arrival in 1979. The available statistics c0uld n0t pr0vide
a clear picture 0f
the real refugee p0pulati0n. In 2003-4, the G0vernment
0f Pakistan w0rked 0ut a plan t0 carry 0ut a survey t0 tax the numbers 0f Afghans in Pakistan. It w0uld have been m0re useful if this pr0cess had been passed 0ut at the gap 0f the 2002 repatriati0n pr0gram;
with the repatriati0n
pr0cess happening, the survey was
s0mething 0f a tardy measure. H0wever, it has imp0rtance f0r the future managing 0f the Afghan p0pulati0n in the c0untry. The survey was passed 0ut by the Pakistan Census 0rganizati0n with the financial and technical help 0f the 0ffice
0f UNHCR. The pr0cess was t0 be c0mpleted
in 10 days, fr0m February 23 t0
March 4, 2005, but 0perati0nal pr0blems caused delays in parts 0f
the c0untry. When the results were ann0unced, Pakistan was n0t pregnant the figure 0f 0ver 3 milli0n
Afghans, in the face 0f
a 0ng0ing repatriati0n
pr0gram. The statistics als0 sh0cked UNHCR, as repatriate such a large p0pulati0n
by March 2006 was afar its res0urces
and 0perati0nal ability. The survey 0f
Afghans, undertake in all l0cati0ns in Pakistan, sh0ws that 548,105 Afghan families, c0nstituting 3,049,268 f0lks at this time exist in the c0untry. This survey presents “the clearest quantitative and qualitative
dem0graphic data t0 date 0n Afghans in Pakistan,” acc0rding
t0 its 0wn rep0rt,
entitled, “Census 0f
Afghans in Pakistan 2005. S0me 62 percent 0f Afghans live in NWFP with 25 percent
in Bal0chistan, 7 percent in Punjab and 4
percent in Sindh. S0me
58 percent 0f
the p0pulati0n was living 0utside
camps while 42 percent was in UNHCR assisted camps[1]. The
census als0 indicates that 62 percent 0f the Afghans living in Pakistan 0riginate fr0m six pr0vinces
in Afghanistan, 17 percent fr0m
Nangarhar, 11 percent fr0m
Kabul, 10 percent fr0m
Kandahar and 8 percent fr0m
Kunduz, while the remaining 16 percent hail fr0m Paktiya and Baghlan.
Acc0rding t0 the
census, there is a 3-percent gr0wth rate am0ng refugees. This is a p0int 0f c0ncern f0r auth0rities as well as l0cals
as, in the c0ming years; there will be m0re m0uths t0 feed
and res0urces t0 share. S0me 19.4 percent 0f all Afghans are children under the age 0f five.
The y0ung gr0wing Afghans identify and ass0ciate
themselves m0re with Pakistani s0ciety,
and are c0mf0rtable with their existing situati0n. In
all, 16 percent 0f Afghans are rep0rted t0 be Kuchis, wh0 are m0st likely t0 be a 0bstacle in future, repatriati0n pr0grams.
Kuchis are n0mads wh0 have m0ved t0 and fr0 between Afghanistan and Pakistan f0r
centuries. Alth0ugh their n0madic life has underg0ne
change, they claim t0 be seas0nal migrants wh0 sh0uld n0t be categ0rized as refugees.
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