Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, has announced that Afghan citizens without legal documents will no longer be allowed to reside in Islamabad after the end of the current year.
He said that the deadline for obtaining these documents is set for December 31, 2024. Naqvi emphasized that after this date, all Afghan residents in Islamabad must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
The Interior Minister stated: “All Afghans will no longer be allowed to live in Islamabad after December 31. If they wish to stay, they must obtain a residence permit (NOC) from the commissioner’s office. Further details will be shared in the coming days, and we will notify them (Afghans) through every possible channel. However, after December 31, no Afghan without a residence permit will be allowed to live in Islamabad.”
At the same time, some Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan expressed concerns over this decision, saying that despite not participating in any protests against the Pakistani government, the country has once again made their living conditions more challenging.
Atiqullah Mansoor, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: “Afghans residing in Pakistan have not been involved in any political demonstrations against the host country, but the recent statement by Pakistan’s Interior Minister is emotional and lacks an understanding of the realities.”
Meanwhile, some migrant rights activists emphasized the need to establish a joint committee between Afghanistan and Pakistan to address the challenges faced by Afghan migrants.
Nazar Nazari, a migrant rights activist, said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan must pay more attention to Afghan migrants by working with the Pakistani government to create a joint committee to address their issues.”
Additionally, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that since September 2023, it has provided assistance to over 115,600 Afghan migrants who were deported from Pakistan. Of these, 74,300 individuals were holders of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
The UNHCR report stated: UNHCR has assisted close to 115,600 Afghan returnees from Pakistan, including 74,300 Proof of Registration (PoR) Card holders, since September 2023.”
Previously, UNHCR also reported the forced deportation of 36,000 Afghan migrants from Pakistan.