Pakistan Halts Actions Against Registered Afghan Refugees

In an official directive, SAFRON instructed all provincial administrations, as well as authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to suspend any enforcement or deportation measures targeting Afghan refugees with valid PoR cards. Senior officials, including police chiefs in Islamabad, AJK, and GB, received clear instructions to ensure that PoR cardholders are neither harassed nor detained.

The Ministry’s notice highlights that the deadline for voluntary repatriation of these refugees is currently under review, and no actions should be taken until a final decision is made. Currently, over 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan hold PoR cards issued in partnership with the UNHCR and the Pakistani government, granting them temporary legal status.

This decision comes amid ongoing uncertainty about the fate of PoR cardholders after their previous repatriation deadline expired last week. Discussions are reportedly underway to provide an additional three to six months for refugees to remain in Pakistan under this program, though the necessary cabinet approval has yet to be submitted by SAFRON or the Ministry of Interior.

Previously, the government had approved a one-year extension for PoR cardholders, which expired on June 30. The extension was widely welcomed by humanitarian groups and the international community, who urged the government to continue protecting the refugees’ rights.