Thousands of Afghans to be given sanctuary in camps

War on Terrorism: Refugees

Ruud Lubbers, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, urged America and Britain to pay greater attention to the plight of Afghan refugees yesterday, after persuading the Pakistan government to receive up to 300,000 of the most vulnerable cases.

"When there is an alliance against terrorism, there should also be an alliance for humanity," Mr Lubbers said at the end of a four-day visit to Pakistan. "I hope that all the leaders concerned – President Bush, Mr Blair, my own secretary general – put the Afghan people in sight. It should not become a war against Afghans."

Mr Lubbers has been trying to break the deadlock at the Afghan border, which has forced tens of thousands of people fleeing the bombing to make the dangerous, expensive and illegal journey across the mountains into Pakistan.

The government still refuses officially to open its borders to Afghan refugees, although as many as 80,000 have crossed unofficially since the bombing began. But work is under way to receive up to 300,000 of the most vulnerable refugees at 15 border camps that will be ready in a couple of weeks.As well as women, children, the elderly, the war wounded and disabled, Mr Lubbers urged Pakistan to allow entry to young men who were in danger of forced conscription into the Taliban army.

* Police in the central city of Bahawalpur arrested 13 Islamic militants yesterday for questioning over Sunday's gun attack on a church in which 16 people died.