Pakistan registers 1m Afghans in landmark exercise

ISLAMABAD—The landmark registration of Afghans in Pakistan crossed the 1 million mark on Tuesday. With just two weeks to go before the exercise ends on December 31, the authorities are urging more eligible Afghans to register now.
Since registration started in October, over 631,000 Afghans have been registered in North West Frontier Province, some 174,000 in Balochistan, more than 122,000 in Punjab, some 67,000 in Sindh and more than 6,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. 48 percent of those registered are females, and 51 percent children under the age of 14.
The exercise is conducted by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and supported by the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) and the UN refugee agency. Only Afghans who were counted in the March 2005 census can take part in the current registration. The target population is estimated at 2.4 million Afghans.
“This is the largest registration by a host government anywhere in the world,” said Sajid Hussain Chattha, Secretary of the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON). “The scale and initial challenges were daunting, but I’m glad we overcame them to register 1 million Afghans today.”
Registration has accelerated in recent weeks, with over 28,000 Afghans being registered every day in 50 registration centres and mobile vans countrywide.
“The recent high registration numbers are very encouraging,” said UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, Guenet Guebre-Christos. “But time is running out. Eligible Afghans should not panic but they must come forward now, to avoid a last-minute rush at the centres at the end of the year.”
She stressed that the exercise is free-of-cost for all eligible Afghans and that any demands for payment must be reported to UNHCR and the authorities immediately.
Every registered Afghan above the age of five receives a Proof of Registration (POR) card that is valid for three years and that recognizes the bearer as an Afghan citizen temporarily living in Pakistan. Children under five are listed on their mothers’ cards.
Besides providing Afghans with their first-ever official documentation in exile, registration seeks to profile the Afghan population in Pakistan to help in the search for durable solutions. The US$6 million registration exercise has received funds from the European Commission, the United States and the United Kingdom.—Online