The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) will assist Pakistan government in the countrywide registration of Afghans. The nation-wide registration is scheduled to start on October 15 and will last for 10 weeks.
The registered refugees will receive a Proof of Registration (PoR) card that recognises them as Afghan citizens living in Pakistan. The card will be valid for three years. Only those Afghans who arrived in Pakistan after December 1, 1979 and were included in the February-March 2005 census by the government will be eligible for registration. Those with a Pakistani national identity card do not qualify.
Participation in the exercise will be mandatory for all Afghans enumerated during the census. Those who do not participate will be subjected to relevant national laws.
The exercise will be carried out by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in close collaboration with the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron). The UNHCR will be assisting the government to mobilise resources for the registration which will cost $6 million. No fees will be charged for the registration. The PoR card will be for identity purposes only and will not confer any additional rights or status. The PoR card will have high-security features such as digital photographs and the individual's fingerprint as in the CNIC issued by the Nadra.