MANSEHRA: The district administration on Tuesday asked over 59,000 Afghan refugees to leave the area before the stipulated time.

Deputy Commissioner Iqbal Hussain told a gathering of Afghan refugees that December 31 had been given as the last deadline for their repatriation. “We hope the Afghan refugees will leave the area before the stipulated time,” he added. The elders of Afghan refugees of four camps, Barari, Ichrian, Khaki and Sheikhabad, were present on the occasion.

“If you have any issue in leaving Pakistan, we would settle it but after expiry of the deadline no other option but forced eviction would be utilised,” he added.

The Afghan nationals were asked not to provide any sort of shelter to illegal persons living in the district.

Tanveer Hussain, in-charge of Afghan refugee camps in Mansehra, said that39,000 Afghan refugees were living in four camps and 20,000 others were living outside camps.