In an alarming escalation, the Pakistani federal government has ordered the expulsion of over one million Afghan nationals legally residing in the country with Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. According to Dawn News outlet, the Ministry of Interior issued a Special Regulatory Order (SRO) on July 31, declaring PoR cards expired as of June 30, effectively criminalising the stay of all Afghans still in Pakistan under this category.

This decision now places registered refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, in imminent danger of arrest, detention, and deportation. The government has empowered police, district administration, and prison authorities to arrest and detain PoR cardholders without judicial review under the Foreigners Act of 1946, a colonial-era law used historically to suppress marginal communities.

Border crossing with Afghanistan shut