Afghan refugees in Pakistan start getting new smartcards

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan has decided to issue the first new biometric identity smartcards for registered Afghan refugees.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) said the new Proof of Registration (PoR) cards were legally recognised proof of the identity and had enhanced security features.

The card issuance process is part of the government-led and UNHCR-supported Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise (DRIVE).

The exercise is currently verifying the information of 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The refugees with be issued with new PoR smartcards based on the same technology used for Pakistani citizen identification cards.

The refugees, who complete their DRIVE verification interviews, will receive SIM notifications about them when and where their new smartcards can be collected.

The exercise is a joint effort between the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and UNHCR, with technical assistance from NADRA.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR representative in Pakistan commended the government’s efforts for taking this important exercise forward.

Noriko Yoshida saw the exercise as an important opportunity to strengthen the protection of refugees and better understand existing needs in the refugee community.

mud