KP CM orders registration of 2.5 million Afghan refugees

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak Friday directed the departments concerned to ensure registration of unregistered Afghan refugees in coordination with the Afghan consulate.

Afghan Ambassador Dr. Hazrat Umar Zakhelwal called on Khattak at CM House Peshawar. During the meeting, the chief minister said that seats have been reserved in educational institutions for Afghan students.

They assured close coordination between the police of the two countries.

Later week, a senior UN official urged Pakistan to resolve the status of more than 2.5 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan whose registration cards have expired or who remain unregistered.

While Europe has grappled with the exodus of people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, Pakistan hosts the world’s largest long-term refugee population, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), most of whom are Afghans who have fled more than three decades of war.

In December, registration cards providing temporary legal stay to more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees expired, and were granted a six-month extension by the government.

UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner George Okoth-Obbo said his agency was engaged in “continuing discussions” with the Pakistani government to resolve the population’s uncertain situation.