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UN Refugee Agency refutes news item

April 16, 2004

ISLAMABAD, 16 April (UNHCR) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) refuted the news item printed in a section of the press on April 9 claiming involvement of the Agency's two employees in a shot out incidence with the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) in which two people were arrested.

The two persons nominated in the incidence Mohammad Yousuf and Musa Ali, sierra loanian nationals, had applied with UNHCR for a refugee status. With the case being under consideration, letters were issued to both asylum seekers as a normal procedure pending a decision.

The letters issued to asylum seekers no where indicated the persons being UNHCR employees, the Agency said. However the report quoting hospital record mentioned the two arrested as UNHCR employees, which was erroneous.

The report also misquoted that the UNHCR person when contacted denied that such incidence had taken place. In fact, when contacted it was told to the reporter that no one with the names of Mohammad Yousaf and Musa Ali worked for the Refugee Agency.

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