Response sought from govt in Afghan repatriation case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday issued notices to the federal government and NADRA on a petition filed against the policy on the repatriation of Afghan refugees and the issuance of Pakistan Origin Card (POC) to an Afghan national married to a Pakistani woman.

The petition was heard by a bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Aurangzeb Khan.Advocate Ajmal Khan Mohmand, representing the petitioner, informed the court that his client is a resident of Takht Bhai, Mardan, and is married to Tariq Khan, an Afghan citizen. The couple has four children.

He stated that the government is now attempting to deport her husband to Afghanistan.The lawyer argued that the policy formulated for the repatriation of Afghan Citizen Card holders is illegal and unconstitutional, as it lacks a defined procedure for implementation.

He noted that Afghan refugees in Pakistan have established businesses, contracted marriages, and made assets, none of which are addressed adequately in the current repatriation policy.The lawyer believed that forcibly deporting the petitioner’s husband would deprive their children of their father’s presence.