On Friday, the federal government ordered the authorities to take no measure against Afghan refugees with proof cards (POR), while planning to extend the validity of the document, according to an official notification.
“The case concerning the extension of the validity of the proof of registration (POR) is envisaged by the federal government,” said the notification, asking all departments and agencies to refrain from “harassment or unfavorable action” against the Afghan refugees recorded until a final decision is taken.
Pakistan is home to more than 2.8 million Afghan refugees who fled decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Among these, around 1.3 million have POR cards while 813,000 hold Afghan citizen cards (ACC), published in 2017 to grant temporary legal status.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of the Interior ordered all “illegal foreigners” and ACC holders left the country by March 31, warning against deportations from April 1. The authorities have since repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghans under the current expulsion campaign launched in November 2023.
However, the new government directive offers a temporary stay of POR cards holders, in the midst of increasing international concerns concerning the treatment of Afghan refugees.
“Of nearly three million Afghan nationals in Pakistan, only a fraction has valid documentation,” said parliamentary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik to the parliamentary session. He said the government examined documentation policies in the context of a broader re -evaluation of refugee management.
Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for more than four decades, but recent security and economic pressures have caused more strict border and immigration controls.
