Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Islamabad, met with Oscar Manuel Sanchez, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan, to discuss the problems faced by Afghan refugees at registration and check-in centers.
According to a statement from the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan, Shakeeb proposed during the meeting that the registration process—carried out by UNHCR in cooperation with Pakistan’s NADRA authority—should be strengthened by increasing the number of mobile units. These units would be deployed to all districts and zones so that refugees can avoid long queues and have their other issues addressed more efficiently.
He also pointed to the problems faced by Afghan students, stating that they encounter serious challenges in the verification of their academic documents. He emphasized that this issue should be treated as a humanitarian matter and receive attention from all relevant parties.
During the meeting, the UNHCR head assured that necessary measures would be taken to improve facilities at the VRC (Voluntary Repatriation Centers). He added that the issue of Afghan students’ documents had previously been raised with the relevant Pakistani authorities and would continue to be followed up.
Sanchez further announced that the organization would establish a special center for handling complaints and scheduling appointments, enabling Afghan refugees to directly raise their concerns through designated phone numbers.
He also requested Ahmad Shakib to grant permission for a number of United Nations vehicles carrying humanitarian aid, currently held up in Pakistan, to enter Afghanistan.
