Pakistan says it is extending stay of nearly 1.4 million Afghan refugees till the end of 2023
Story highlights
The move marks a step back from an earlier Pakistani assertion that asked all foreigners lacking legal documents to voluntarily leave the country within a month.
Pakistan extended the legal residence of nearly 1.4 million Afghan refugees until the end of 2023 but said it would not stop deporting the Afghans it says are "undocumented".
The development comes amid relentless international pressure calling for the relief to the refugee community living in Pakistan.
"[The] government of Pakistan is pleased to extend the validity of the Proof of Registration, or PoR, cards issued to the registered Afghan refugees … till [31st] December 2023," according to an official announcement.
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What does it mean?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson in Pakistan has welcomed the decision.
The Proof of Registration or the PoR cards of the Afghan refugees, comprising those who fled conflict and persecution in late 1970s, had expired on June 30, 2023. The extension of the validity of PoR cards was denied by Islamabad without any explanation for the subsequent delay.
Now, Afghan refugees will be able to get their PoR cards extended.
What had happened?
In early October, Islamabad asked all foreigners lacking legal documents to voluntarily leave within a month.
Failure to comply by the November 1 deadline would result in arrest and deportation for violating immigration laws.
The caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar reported over 250,000 Afghan individuals having voluntarily returned to Afghanistan since the deportation plan's announcement, a move criticised by Afghanistan's Taliban government and international rights groups.
Over 600,000 Afghans, including those who fled the Taliban's takeover in Kabul, face eviction due to expired visas or lack of legal documents.
The Washington factor
The US aims to prevent the forced expulsion of approximately 25,000 eligible for relocation or resettlement as part of its policy to house individuals who assisted US troops during its military operations in Afghanistan after 9/11 attacks.
Also read | After backing Taliban for years, Pakistan now claims 60 pc rise in terror from Afghanistan
During a news conference, the Pakistani caretaker PM assured that individuals listed by the US would not be forcibly removed.
Also watch | Pakistan refugee crisis: Bulldozer razes homes of Afghan refugees in Pakistan
The US and western troops withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, allowing the Taliban to reclaim power after two decades to pave the way for a repressive regime that has curtailed rights of women and any semblance of democracy in the South Asian country located at the crossroads of Central and West Asia.
(With inputs from agencies)
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