The government has announced the extension of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for 1.45 million Afghan refugees for an additional one-year period.

“The cabinet granted a one-year extension till June 30, 2025, in the expiry period of POR Cards of 1.45 million Afghan refugees legally staying in Pakistan,” said a statement from the prime minister’s office.

The decision comes after a recent visit by Filippo Grandi, the chief of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), who had urged Pakistan to halt its earlier plan to deport Afghan refugees.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Grandi stressed the need for the international community to recognise the “burden being shouldered” by Pakistan as the host of a large refugee population. The prime minister emphasised the importance of “collective responsibility” in addressing the refugee crisis.

Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The latest influx of Afghan refugees into the country began in August 2021 when the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, prompting an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 Afghans to seek refuge in neighbouring Pakistan.

Last November, Pakistan launched a widely criticised repatriation program aimed at returning millions of Afghan refugees, regardless of their legal status. The latest extension of the PoR cards provides a temporary reprieve for the refugee community and allows them to remain in Pakistan for an additional year.