ISLAMABAD. Nov 10: Ix-fl largely alone to clothe and feed one of the world s largest refugee popula tions, Pakistan today said "no more" and close Its borders with neighbouring Afghanistan, reports AP.

The decision came after a monthlong deluge that saw 30.000 new refugees cross Into Pakistan, swelling the Afghan refugee population here to more than 2.1 million.

The latest refugee exodus is being blamed on a devastating three year drought and a bitter and protracted civil war that pits Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, who control 95 per cent of the country, against a northern-based opposition, which rules the remaining 5 per cent

Tens of thousands more refugees were expected to try’ to cross into Pakistan during the bitter winter months ahead, said Hasim Utkan. Pakistani repre-sentative of die Uniled Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR.

Pakistani officials say they simply could not handle the influx.

"We have no choice." said Abdullah Jan. an official in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, which borders Afglianlstan. "Our economic situa-

tion is bad and we are trying Improve the conditions of our own people. We Just can't handle any more refugees. We don't have the money or the resources."

Pakistan a country of 140 million, mostly poor, people has been single-handedly housing and feeding the 2.1 million Afghan refugees living here since 1995, when Ule UN slopped its food and housingaid.

Some of the refugees date back to the 1980s Invasion by the former Soviet Union, when an estimated 5 million refugees fled to Pakistan. Other refugees came after the 1992 takeover of Afghanistan by Western-backed Islamic groups, who Immediately turned their guns on each other, killing an estimated 50,000 people and destroying much of the Afghan capital. Kabul.

Peace came to Kabul and much of Afglianlstan In 1996 when the hard-line Taliban took power. Since then, fighting has been largely restricted to pockets of northern Afglianlstan.

Last month, the UNHCR received an emergency dlrs 960,000 to house the latest Influx, but when it runs out. Pakistan will again be left alone to find food for the refugees, Utkan said.