National Assembly Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (Safron) on Monday directed the government to expedite repatriation of Afghan refugees following the worsening law and order situation in the country.
The standing committee which met here with Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani in the chair. The committee discussed a host of issues including issuance of national identity cards to Afghans, utilisation of foreign aid and refugees' repatriation operations.
The lawmakers were briefed about the efforts made by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to end issuance of identity cards to Afghan refugees on fake documents. They were informed that more or less 9,241 FIRs have so far been registered whereas 7,539 cases are subjudiced against the applicants and attesters.
The committee also briefed the members about the sustainable repatriation of Afghans and assistance provided by the foreign countries to the refugees during the last two decades.
The committee appreciated the NADRA efforts to curb the issuance of computerised identity cards and directed the management to take strict compliance against the concerned quarters for issuing fake cards to refugees. The lawmakers were of the unanimous view that maximum punishment be given to the applicants for applying for identity cards on fake documents.
Furthermore, it was recommended that the local representative may not be get involved in attestation process and verification might be extended to the concerned district co-ordination officers. The committee further recommended Safron to take effective measures for quick repatriation of Afghan refugees and also stop their return as they were badly creating the law and order situation besides damaging the socio-cultural values of Pakistan.
Besides senior officials from Safron, Rais Munir Ahmed, Muhammad Faiz Tamman, Maulana Syed Nek Zaman, Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir, Maulana Shujaul Mulk and Fauzia Habib were also attended the meeting.