Pakistan’s efforts to host thousands of refugees from Afghanistan have gathered momentum.
The refugees have entered the country through Spin Boldak/Chaman border in southeastern Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country earlier this month.
Lahore’s old airport has been brought back to an operational state to facilitate the evacuation of foreigners from Afghanistan.
The lounge of Walton Airport has been made functional, while immigration and custom clearance counters have also been put in.
Additionally, rooms have been booked in five-star restaurants for arriving dignitaries in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
On the other hand, the Punjab government has decided to accommodate Afghan refugees in the sub-campuses of three universities –Government College Lahore University, University of Engineering and Technology, and University of Health Sciences.
Students, teachers told to vacate hostels, residences
The university students and teachers have been directed to evacuate the campuses and hostels.
The United States has claimed to have facilitated the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from the country’s only operational airport in Kabul since the fall of Ashraf Ghani’s government on August 16. However, it is still unclear that how many of them were Afghan nationals.
The evacuations from Hamid Karazai International Airport have resumed after Thursday’s suicide attack that killed more than 170 people, including 13 US troops.
While addressing a press conference in Lahore, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the Chaman and Torkham borders were open as Pakistan was issuing 21-day transit visas to the Afghans.
