ISLAMABAD: The government, with the support of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has launched a nationwide verification exercise for 1.4 million Afghan refugees.
Minister for States and Frontier Regions Mehboob Sultan launched the Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise (Drive) here on Thursday.
UNHCR Representative Noriko Yoshida and Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Saleem Khan were present on the occasion.
During the six-month exercise, registered Afghan refugees who currently hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will be provided with new smartcards.
“The Drive exercise is a leap forward for everyone,” Ms Yoshida said while welcoming its launch. “This step will allow refugees to have better, faster and safer access to services, including schools, hospitals and banks,” she said.
Islamabad: The Pakistan government has launched a nationwide campaign to verify and update the data of around 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees who will receive new smart identity cards.
The large-scale verification of refugees is being undertaken after 10 years in the country to boost Pakistan’s efforts to enhance protection for refugees. The Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR) at the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and UNHCR, will be involved in the verification and document renewal process.
DRIVE verification process
The Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise (DRIVE) was launched in Islamabad on April 15. Federal Minister for SAFRON Mehboob Sultan, the UNHCR representative Noriko Yoshida, and Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Saleem Khan attended the ceremony. During the six-month exercise, NADRA will verify and update the data of registered Afghan refuge