ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended the stay of registered Afghan refugees living in the country for another three months, an official statement said.
The stay period of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan expired on Saturday, June 30.
The federal cabinet approved the extension from July 1.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the cabinet chaired by the caretaker Prime Minister Justice (R) Nasir-ul-Mulk on Saturday evening.
“The meeting discussed, in detail, the issue of extension in stay of the Afghan refugees. It was decided to grant an interim extension of three months to the registered refugees present in the country,” the prime minister’s office said.
The statement added: “It was further decided (in the cabinet meeting) to place the matter before the incoming elected government.”
The UNHCR said nearly 1.4 million documented Afghans are living in Pakistan with legal documents called the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
Pakistani authorities say around one million Afghan refugees living in the country are unregistered.
“Pakistan is the second-largest refugee hosting country. We hope that you will all join us today in standing with refugees,” Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, the UNHCR’s representative in Pakistan had said on June 20 on World Refugees Day.
“Ms. Menikdiwela appreciated and acknowledged the people and government of Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees and called on the international community to support Afghan refugees and their host communities in Pakistan as well as providing development assistance in Afghanistan to support the sustainable reintegration of returnees,” the UNHCR said in a statement.
