Govt bars action against registered Afghans

Stresses voluntary return of all illegal foreign nationals till Nov 1

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has said that the Afghan nationals staying legally in Pakistan will neither be harassed nor arrested.

In a notification issued on Wednesday, the ministry said that the Afghans possessing proof of registration and Afghan Citizen Cards issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) were allowed to stay in Pakistan temporarily, and that registered Afghans could only return to their homeland voluntarily because harassing or arresting them would bring a bad name to Pakistan.

“The respect international community has given to Pakistan and the goodwill the country has earned for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last 43 years will be history if the government does not spare even those who are staying legally in the country,” reads the notification.

The notification further stated that all provincial governments and concerned departments had been told not to take action against such persons.

Copies of the notification have been sent to the interior ministry, and the governments of four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Foreign nationals residing illegally in Pakistan have 20 more days for voluntary repatriation to their native countries. No action will be taken against illegal foreign nationals, including Afghans until November 1st, which is the deadline for them to voluntarily leave the country.

However, the government has warned that appropriate action will be initiated for repatriation of illegal foreign nationals after the deadline.