Registration of undocumented Afghans gains momentum

PESHAWAR: Over 2,100 undocumented Afghans were registered at 10 specially set up centres all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday as the process is gradually gaining momentum.

As many as 21 centres were to be set up all over Pakistan to register all the undocumented Afghan nationals. Out of these 11 were to be set up in KP. However, one centre in Nasir Bagh is yet to kick off work due to technical reasons while 10 are already operational.

“As per the reports coming from the 10 centres all over the province, 279 were registered on Tuesday in Peshawar city, 362 in Kala Mandi Peshawar, 190 in Mardan, 195 in Nowshera, 295 in Pabbi, 127 in Dir Lower, 170 in Mansehra, 174 in Hangu and 156 males and females were registered in Kohat,” Waqar Maroof, director general, Refugees Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told The News.

The number of individuals registered in Haripur was not known but the registered families were 48.  Waqar Maroof added that those who were registered at these centres were given Afghan cards that would allow them to live in Pakistan. Those who don’t possess either Proof of Registration cards for refugees or Afghan cards being registered currently will be dealt with as illegal immigrants under the Foreigners Act.

There were reports that people turning up at many centres had to wait for long due to lengthy proformas being filled out for the use of the Afghan Ministry for Refugees. Others also complained about lack of other facilities at these centres.

However, officials said they had provided all the required facilities at these centres where undocumented Afghans have started coming for registration in large number. Nadra, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation are overseeing the project.