Pak won't extend Proof of Registration cards of Afghan refugees
Photo for representational purpose.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Islamabad: Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the government decided not to extend the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards of Afghan refugees, according to a media report on Saturday.
He said this in an informal conversation with journalists on Friday, reported the Samaa News channel.
Currently, more than 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan hold PoR cards issued jointly by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the Government of Pakistan, granting them temporary legal status.
These cards expired on June 30, leaving hundreds of thousands of Afghans in a state of limbo.
The minister also said that Afghans who are now being deported from Pakistan will be blacklisted from re-entry, and clarified that this is a part of a broader national policy shift.
Pakistan launched a campaign in 2023 to expel all illegal foreigners, but Afghan refugees became the chief target. According to officials, so far, more than 800,000 Afghans have left Pakistan.