Pak government extended the deadline for deportation of Afghans having registration cards till June 30. world News
New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday extended the deadline for deportation of Afghan refugees living in the country with Proof of Registration (POR) cards till June 30, according to an official statement.
The deportation of illegal Afghan refugees living in Pakistan is continuing after the government gave an ultimatum to all refugee Afghan citizens to leave Pakistan by November 1 last year.
PoR is an identity card for Afghan refugees that gives them the right to legally reside in Pakistan and is issued by the country’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). PORs are issued to Afghan refugees after they are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sharif, the Pak government also said that Afghans with POR will be sent back to Afghanistan in the third phase.
“The Cabinet has approved the extension of POR cards of Afghan refugees till June 30 this year, which will allow the cardholders to avail of schools, bank accounts and other facilities in Pakistan for some time. These POR cardholders will be brought back in the third phase. The statement said, “Repatriation program of illegal citizens living in Pakistan is going on.”
Pakistan’s move to send Afghans back to their country of origin has been condemned by global human rights bodies.
According to Amnesty International, since November 2023, a total of 5,27,981 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan, leaving behind their homes, properties and communities in Pakistan.
The global rights body has repeatedly urged the government to reverse its decision to deport Afghan refugees, most recently in its ten-point human rights charter for the newly elected government in Pakistan.
During the cabinet meeting, members also received a briefing from the Aviation Secretary on the progress of privatization of Pakistan International Airlines.
“In the meeting, the Aviation Secretary also briefed about the steps taken to improve the facilities across the country, especially at the airports of Lahore and Karachi,” the statement said.