The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has said that the Afghan nationals staying legally in Pakistan will neither be harassed nor arrested, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
In a notification issued on Wednesday, the ministry said that the Afghans possessing Proof of Registration and Afghan Citizen Cards issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) were allowed to stay in Pakistan temporarily, and that registered Afghans could only return to their homeland voluntarily because harassing or arresting them would bring a bad name to Pakistan. “The respect international community has given to Pakistan and the goodwill it has earned for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the last 43 years will be history if the government does not spare even those Afghans who are staying legally in the country,” read the notification.
The notification further stated that all provincial governments and concerned departments had been told not to take action against such persons.
Copies of the notification have been sent to the Ministry of Interior, four provincial governments as well as the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
20 days left for illegal foreign nationals to leave Pakistan
Foreign nationals residing illegally in Pakistan have 20 more days for voluntary repatriation to their native countries. No action will be taken against illegal foreign nationals, including Afghans until the 1st of next month, which is the deadline for them to voluntarily leave the country. However after the deadline, appropriate action will be initiated for repatriation of illegal foreign nationals.
Reporter: Ahmad Mansoor