Neighbours fear that Afghan refugees could spark civil conflict

THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS have fled Afghanistan this year to escape the Taliban. By the end of the year, the United Nations reckons, the exodus of refugees in the region could reach half a million. Many will seek sanctuary in neighbouring Pakistan, already home to an estimated 1.4m Afghan refugees. But the government in Islamabad has insisted that it cannot welcome any more, warning that a flood of new migrants would contribute to instability. Since the 9/11 attacks it has sought to paint Afghan exiles as instigators of conflict and refugee camps as sanctuaries for terrorists.