Pakistan to issue smart cards to Afghan refugees.

Byline: Amin Ahmed

ISLAMABAD -- The government on Tuesday announced the Afghan refugees whose 'Proof of Registration' (PoR) cards had expired in 2015 would be given new smart cards after verification this year.

The Chief CommissioneArate for Afghan Refugees in the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), will start the 'Document Renewal and Information Verification Exercise' (Drive) from April 1.

During the six-month exercise, Nadra will verify and update the data of the registered Afghan refugees who have the PoR cards with an expiry date of December 31, 2015. The initiative takes place within the framework of the 'Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees', fostering renewed partnerships and stronger strategic linkages between humanitarian and development investments.

As many as 40 Drive centres are being set up across Pakistan. Upon verification of their data, these Afghan refugees will receive new PoR smart cards. The new smart cards will provide Afghan refugees with renewed proof of their identity, enhancing their protection in Pakistan, and will help facilitate identity...