ISLAMABAD, June 27 (APP): The federal government has decided to allow Afghan refugees to stay in Pakistan for two more years, in this regard Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has prepared a summary, which will soon be forwarded to the Federal Cabinet for approval.
An official source told APP here on Monday that Over 1.5 million registered Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, who were issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards by the National Database and Registration Authority.
The PoR cards expired on December 31, 2015. The validity of cards was extended to June 30, 2016, he added.
The official said that the ministry wanted the repatriation process to be executed in phases and for this purpose, an extension of two years for the PoR cards was required.
He said that unfortunately, more than registered refugees living in the different parts of Pakistan illegally. Some were also involved and caught in terror and other criminal activities.
The Ministry of Interior and provincial home departments had been tasked with tracing illegal Afghan nationals and arrange their
repatriation to Afghanistan.
This would help curb terror incidents and crimes in the country, he added.
