As a follow-up to the census of Afghans in Pakistan done in March 2005, Pakistani government will start registration of Afghan refugees across the country from Oct. 15, 2006, officials said Saturday.

The government will prepare a comprehensive database of Afghan refugees across Pakistan to develop policies for their voluntary repatriation, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported quoting officials.

Registered Afghans will receive a three-year valid Proof of Registration (PoR) card that recognizes them as Afghan citizens living in Pakistan and will be invalidated when they repatriate, said the report.

During the registration period, Afghans in Pakistan are supposed to bring official documents establishing their identity like passports, driver's license, student cards, ration cards, birth/marriage certificates and other supporting documents such as utility bills, school/hospital records, said the APP report, quoting officials.

According to the previous census, there were 3.048 million Afghans in Pakistan, and presently, there are an estimated 2.468 million, it added.

Funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR), the registration process, for which the total cost is nearly 5.6 million U.S. dollars, will be conducted by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) of Pakistan, according to the report.

Currently, UNHCR has also suspended assistance for voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan to their country due to registration exercise.

Source: Xinhua