Pakistan’s Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) has asked relevant departments and agencies to stop harassing or taking any adverse action against registered Afghan refugees with valid proof of registration (PoR) cards or Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) issued by NADRA.
The ministry issued a notification stating that it had already informed all stakeholders and provincial governments that Afghan refugees with valid proof of registration and Afghan Citizen Cards are allowed to reside temporarily in Pakistan and can only be repatriated voluntarily.
The notification also stated that harassing, arresting, or detaining registered Afghan refugees would damage Pakistan’s image and goodwill, which it has earned over the last 43 years.
In other words, the Pakistani government is telling its own officials to stop harassing Afghan refugees who have registered with the government and have valid proof of registration. The government is saying that these refugees are allowed to stay in Pakistan temporarily and can only be sent back to Afghanistan if they choose to go voluntarily. The government is also warning its officials that harassing refugees will damage Pakistan’s reputation.