Government starts registration of Afghan citizens in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD,
October 14 – The first-ever registration of Afghan citizens in Pakistan
started on Sunday, kicking off a massive exercise to provide eligible
Afghans with official identification during their temporary stay in
Pakistan.
The government exercise is a follow-up to the 2005 census of Afghans who
had arrived in Pakistan after 1 December 1979 to escape the Soviet
invasion of their homeland.
“Only Afghans included in the census can take part in the registration,”
said Nayar Agha, the Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees in
Islamabad. “For them, registration is mandatory and they will get a
Proof of Registration card at the end of it.”
The 10-week-long exercise is conducted by the National Database and
Registration Authorities (NADRA) through 90 centres supported by mobile
registration vehicles across the country. UNHCR and government officials
are verifying names against the census database and monitoring the whole
process.
So far, more than 4,000 Afghans have been registered in pilot exercises
in Chitral and Jhang that started on October 1.
To register, eligible Afghans must approach designated centres in the
same area where they took the census, as the database is area-specific.
Registered Afghans will receive the Proof of Registration card with
digital photographs and fingerprints. Children under the age of five
will be listed on their mother’s card. The card is valid for three years
and recognises the bearer as an Afghan citizen temporarily living in
Pakistan.
“More than 2.8 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan since
2002. Another 2.5 million are believed to be still living in Pakistan,”
said Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR’s Assistant Representative in Pakistan.
“Within the three years of the PoR card’s validity, we hope to be able
to find more durable solutions to this protracted situation. Starting
next March, we will introduce new repatriation arrangements tied to the
PoR card to help returnees in their area of origin.”
The registration exercise, which costs US$6 million, is expected to end
on December 31.
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