ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority has issued smart identity cards to registered Afghan refugees residing in the country.
The Proof of Registration cards are legal identification document and include enhanced security features, said a press statement issued on Wednesday.
The issuance of the card is part of the government-led and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-supported Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise.
This DRIVE is verifying the information of 1.4 million registered Afghan-national refugees in the country and will issue them with PoR cards based on the same technology used in Computerised National Identity Cards for Pakistan nationals.
Refugees after completing a drive verification interview will receive a notification message, advising them about the collection of the cards.
“The drive exercise is a collaborated effort of the government/Ministry of States and Frontier Regions and UNHCR, with the technical assistance of NADRA,” said Saleem Khan, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan.
About three million Afghans live in Pakistan, with more in Iran, many of them struggling to get full access to education, health and employment.
UNHCR Pakistan Representative Noriko Yoshida appreciated the campaign for taking the exercise forward, and termed it an important opportunity to strengthen the protection of refugees and better understand existing needs in the community.
“DRIVE will provide updated information about registered Afghan refugees and their immediate family members in Pakistan. This will allow us to better plan and deliver our support to the Government of Pakistan and refugees, as well as the communities hosting them”, Yoshida said.
A NADRA spokesperson said the cards were multi-biometric, offering new possibilities for identity verification, including in the banking sector.
DRIVE is also part of a wider effort to assist displaced refugees through the Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees. The exercise will help collect data on the educational and professional backgrounds of refugees. This information will enhance support for those who may in the future return voluntarily to Afghanistan.
The exercise is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Measures are in place at all DRIVE sites to mitigate Covid-19 risks through enhanced hygiene, physical distancing, and the scheduling of set numbers of appointments each day.
