an is another kind of collateral damage as they are suffering from is the steady inflow of Afghan refugees fleeing the carpet-bombing of their battered nation. Relief agencies such as the U.N. commission for Refugees are all demanding that Pakistan open its borders to the unfortunate Afghans who are desperate for food, shelter and medical assistance at our doorsteps. All these well-intentioned relief agency officials want to avert a looming humanitarian disaster as winter approaches, food stocks in Afghanistan run low and American bombing makes distribution of supplies impossible.
             More than the money is required for the upkeep of the refugees, there are other kinds of price. Firstly, the devastation caused to the environment of the Frontier province is long-term as a result of trees chopped down for fuel. Police under certain circmstances are not allowed to apply the laws of the land to the Afghan population. Then they have entered a range of professions and trades, depriving locals of employment opportunities since they are willing to work for lower wages. It is estimated that 50,000 Afghans are working in Quetta alone. (Kurtz) Their involvement in crimes of all kinds is aggravating an already grim law and order situation. And their presence in large numbers provides the foot soldiers for the extremist religious groups and the jihadi outfits that have virtually established a state within a state.
             Given all these hidden as well as quantifiable costs of playing host to the existing population of refugees, it Pakistan is being forced to accept yet more refugees as the bombs of the United States flush Afghans from their own land to the homes of their neighbors. Though these camps are to be located in 'remote' parts of the country however many Afghans do not stay where they are supposed to. Indeed, an unknown number of them have Pakistani identity cards and avail themselves of the educational and medical facilities intended for Pakista...