Peshawar Court Protects Afghan Refugees: A Legal Lifeline

A Pakistani court has temporarily halted the deportation of 51 Afghan refugee families, introducing a streamlined process for resolving their citizenship status. This judgment addresses confusion around citizenship processing and aims to protect Afghan refugees by facilitating their path to obtaining Pakistani nationality.

Devdiscourse News Desk | Peshawar | Updated: 09-09-2025 00:50 IST | Created: 09-09-2025 00:50 IST

Peshawar Court Protects Afghan Refugees: A Legal Lifeline — This image is AI-generated and does not depict any real-life event or location. It is a fictional representation created for illustrative purposes only.

Country:
Pakistan

A Pakistani court has intervened to safeguard Afghan refugee families from immediate deportation, mandating a more efficient process for assessing their citizenship claims. Peshawar High Court Justices, Waqar Ahmad and Muhammad Ijaz Khan, issued the ruling to clear procedural confusion.

The court responded to the government's inconsistent handling of cases labeled as "doubtful citizenship." Previously managed by the Ministry of Interior, these responsibilities were unexpectedly transferred to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The ruling impacts 51 Afghan families, coming just after a government-issued deportation deadline.

The judgment mandates refugee families submit cases to NADRA centers for clearance certificates, critical for processing citizenship under Pakistan's laws. NADRA will communicate electronically with the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, marking a 15-day window for objections. This system aims to ease logistical burdens and ensure fair processing for refugees seeking Pakistani citizenship.

(With inputs from agencies.)