Pakistan Sets Up Special Committee To Identify, Deport Afghan PoR Cardholders
Pakistan has formed a special committee comprising police and intelligence agencies to locate and repatriate Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
Pakistan has formed a special committee comprising police and intelligence agencies to locate and repatriate Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
The committee will use data from various institutions to determine the locations of Afghan refugees and share the information with police to implement the deportation plan, according to Dawn newspaper.
Members of the committee include the District Officer of the Rawalpindi Special Branch, the Deputy Superintendent of Police Security Rawalpindi, representatives from the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the Intelligence Bureau and other intelligence agencies.
The government has previously developed a comprehensive strategy to expedite the deportation of Afghans with PoR cards, instructing senior security officials to ensure their “voluntary” return without delay.
Forced deportations of PoR cardholders are scheduled to begin on 1 September. Dawn reported that all relevant agencies must identify PoR holders and submit their findings to the Interior Ministry.
Control rooms in various regions will be reactivated, and a complaints unit with a dedicated hotline will be established to address grievances related to the deportation process.
This move comes as Pakistan continues to deport Afghan migrants. Reports indicate that more than 30,000 undocumented Afghans have already been identified and sent back to Afghanistan through operations by border police and the Quetta district administration.
According to aid groups, on average, one Afghan migrant child is expelled from Iran and Pakistan every 30 seconds. Save the Children says more than 800,000 Afghan children have been forced to return from the two countries so far this year.
