Amnesty International urges Pakistan to extend PoR cards

KABUL (Pajhwok): Amnesty International has urged Pakistan to urgently extend the validity of Afghan refugees’ Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, warning that failure to act could endanger thousands of families.

In a statement, Amnesty International (AI) said that only ten days remain until the expiration of the PoR cards for Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The organization warned that any delay in renewing these cards could have serious consequences, exposing thousands of Afghan families to severe hardships and legal uncertainty.

AI called on the Pakistani government to extend the validity of these identity cards immediately and to officially revoke the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” to prevent the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.

The PoR cards are issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan. These cards serve to identify and support Afghan refugees and grant them temporary permission to stay in Pakistan.

Amnesty emphasized that the looming expiration deadline puts Afghan families at high risk and that Pakistan’s failure to extend the cards could result in mass displacement, arrests, and further human rights violations.

This warning comes as Pakistan has been carrying out a controversial deportation campaign since October last year, targeting Afghan nationals who lack legal residency documents.

So far, thousands of Afghans have been forcibly returned to their home country—a move that has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights groups and international observers.

sa