Pakistan Forms Special Unit to Track Afghan PoR Card Holders Ahead of Deportations
RAWALPINDI — Authorities have set up a dedicated body of police and intelligence officials to locate and profile Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, a move tied to Pakistan’s broader campaign to repatriate undocumented foreigners.
The joint sub-committee, which will work under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), includes officers from the Rawalpindi Special Branch, Security Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Intelligence Bureau, and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), among others.
Officials say the group’s primary task is to compile detailed profiles of PoR card holders using data from SAFRON and other agencies. The information will then be shared in real time with operational teams, enabling swift enforcement actions against those living in Pakistan without legal status.
Deportations Set for September
The government has ordered that Afghans with PoR cards be encouraged to leave voluntarily “without delay.” Formal deportations are scheduled to begin on September 1, following a decision taken at a high-level Interior Ministry meeting earlier this month.
The upcoming phase of the IFRP will run alongside the ongoing removal of other categories of undocumented foreigners, including Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders.
To support the process, provincial administrations, the Federal Investigation Agency, Islamabad’s chief commissioner, and other relevant bodies have been instructed to prepare action plans and ensure the logistics for transit and transport.
Coordination Across Provinces and Borders
Key agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will liaise with the Taliban-led interim government in Kabul, as well as the UN refugee agency and international partners if required. Meanwhile, NADRA will handle deregistration of returnees at border crossings and transit points.
Provinces have been told to map all PoR card holders, set up temporary holding areas for those in transit, and activate multi-level committees to monitor and adjust the repatriation process as needed.
Control rooms are being reactivated at both provincial and federal levels to oversee operations. The National Crisis Information Management Cell will also establish a hotline for complaints or grievances about the deportations.
Authorities stress that the plan is meant to be carried out in an “organized and abuse-free” manner, with the Foreign Nationals Security Dashboard tracking daily progress reports.
This approach marks one of Pakistan’s most coordinated efforts yet to address the presence of long-term Afghan residents, many of whom have lived in the country for decades under temporary registration schemes. The coming weeks will test how smoothly—and humanely—this mass repatriation can be executed.
