In Peshawar, NADRA has issued notices to 1,000 families flagged as suspicious, instructing them to appear before inquiry committees. The authority warned that those who fail to comply will have their identity cards and other documents blocked. At the same time, NADRA is intensifying efforts to block Pakistani national cards that have been illegally obtained by Afghan traders. Lists of Afghan refugees who fraudulently acquired Pakistani identity cards—and in some cases, passports in Peshawar—have been compiled.
Read More: Senior NADRA Official Abducted In Islamabad
In November 2023, Pakistan launched a repatriation program aimed at returning millions of Afghans to their home country for various reasons, including security concerns. Government estimates indicate that Pakistan currently hosts over 2.5 million Afghan refugees, about half of whom are registered with the UNHCR. Officials have stated that those already registered will have their stay extended until June 2025, and they will not be arrested or deported until the extension period expires.
Separately, the country has set March 31 as the deadline to expel Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Those remaining after this deadline will be deported unless they are relocated to the host countries that agreed to accept them following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
