PoR card holders: PHC bars ‘forced’ deportation of Afghan refugees

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday barred the ‘forced’ deportation of Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards until June 30, 2025.

The court directed all relevant authorities to comply with the federal government’s directives and ensure that no PoR cardholders were forcibly departed from Pakistan.

The order was issued by a two-member bench comprising Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Khurshid Iqbal while hearing a petition filed through Barrister Sarwar Muzaffar Shah.

During the proceedings, Assistant Attorney General Rahat Ali Naqvi, Additional Advocate General Inam Khan Yousafzai, and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra)’s Legal Officer Shahid Imran Gigyani appeared on behalf of the federal government and other parties.

The petition argued that the federal government issued a notification on July 27, 2024, stating that Afghan refugees possessing PoR cards would be allowed to reside in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until June 30, 2025. Despite this, it was alleged that police, district administrations, and law enforcement agencies were continuing to harass and detain such refugees in violation of their human rights. The petitioner claimed that Afghan refugees were being arrested, jailed, or forcibly deported, which was unjust and unlawful.

The plea requested the court to restrain authorities from harassing or deporting PoR cardholders before the expiry of the allowed period and to stop any form of action against them.

The court observed that during the last hearing on April 4, the deputy attorney general had sought time to consult relevant authorities regarding the government’s policy on POR cardholders.

A representative of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Frontier Regions Division of the Government of Pakistan, also appeared before the court and confirmed that the federal government had not made any decision regarding the immediate return of PoR cardholders. The court was also referred to media reports supporting this claim.

The bench noted that the response from the Ministry of Safron made it clear that no decision had been made regarding the return of PoR cardholders, and they were permitted to stay in Pakistan until June 30, 2025. Accordingly, the court directed all law enforcement agencies not to harass the Afghan refugees holding PoR cards and stated that their future beyond the deadline would be decided by the federal government. The court instructed the additional advocate general to ensure the communication and implementation of the court’s order across all concerned government authorities and agencies.