PoR cards: Scores of Afghans queue up to renew registration

KARACHI:

Scores of roughly-dressed Afghan refugees, both young and old, gathered outside the Afghan Refugee Repatriation Cell (ARPC) office on Wednesday, as the National Database and Registration Authority began the renewal process of proof of registration (PoR) cards for refugees.

Some 1.6 million Afghan refugees hope to get their cards extended till 2015.

The project was launched at the ARPC, in collaboration with UNHCR, under which more than 68,000 Afghan refugees residing in Sindh will receive their renewed PoR cards — which will remain valid till December 2015. According to UNHCR Pakistan spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi, around 95 per cent of the total registered refugees in Sindh reside in Karachi.

Talking to The Express Tribune Afghanistan’s Consul General Shah Ahmed Saeed said that Kabul is thankful to Islamabad for extending the stay of the Afghan refugees. “We hope that after the renewal of PoR cards the Afghan refugees won’t undergo unnecessary questioning by the local law enforcing agencies.”

While responding to a question, Saeed said that the law enforcement agencies should take action against those Afghan citizens who are involved in criminal activities.

The head of UNHCR field office in Karachi, Younas Sahibzada, appreciated the government’s efforts and cooperation in renewing the PoR cards to Afghan refugees. “The renewal of PoR cards will lessen the number of extortion and harassment cases of registered Afghans.” The renewed PoR cards will help its holders to move freely inside Pakistan, he added.

The renewal process will have two phases across the country. During the first phase — from February till June — all PoR cards that expired in December 2012 will be renewed. In the second phase, from July till year end, NADRA will issue PoR cards to some 150,000 children born to registered parents in the past five years, and more than 330,000 Afghan children below the age of 18 will receive birth certificates.

Chairman of Afghan Mohajir Jirga at the Afghan Camp Haji Abdullah Shah Bukhari said, “We are thankful to the government of Pakistan and UNHCR for renewing our cards as we were facing problems.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2014.