Proof of Registration Card Modification (PCM) Centres
Proof of Registration Card Modification Centres (PCM) are situated in Peshawar and Haripur Districts in Khyber Pakhtunkwa. These PCM centres under the supervision of Commissionerate Afghan Refugees KP remained open Monday to Friday from 09:0 am – 05:00 pm. The Centres are run by Government of Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) with support from Commissionerate Afghan Refugees under the partial financial assistance of UNHCR.
The PCM Centre(s) provides information on birth registration, how to obtain birth certificates, modify Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and obtain duplicate cards. Information regarding the significance and procedures of registering new-born children (up to five years of age) with their parents who are already holding PoR cards and receiving birth certificates aims to address a lack of awareness among the refugee population, which has been identified as one of the main reasons behind the large gap in birth registration of Afghan refugee children. Birth registration and birth certificates are critically important means to help determine the child’s identity, age and nationality and to ensure it will be able to enjoy fundamental rights such as access to education, legal marriage, issuance of ID cards/passports and many public services including medical assistance.
The PCM centres also make corrections to the data on Afghan refugees existing PoR cards, replace lost, stolen, faded or damaged PoR cards and receive PoR cards for already registered children who have reached five years of age and are entitled to their own PoR card. Afghan refugees holding valid PoR cards may access these services in the two Proof of Registration Card Modification (PCM) centres located in Peshawar and Haripur in KP.
Services and Activities Available at the PCM Centres:
The following services are available at both PCM centres:
- Corrections to existing PoR cards (e.g. name of the applicant/father/mother/spouse/ dependents, age, sex, marital status, photo and address).
- Additions to existing PoR cards (e.g. address, telephone number, photo and new born child. Replacement of lost, stolen, faded or damaged PoR cards).
An application for a modified or duplicate (in case of loss or theft) PoR card can be made at any of the PCM centres. In case of a lost/stolen PoR card, a First Information Report (FIR) from the police or Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) Attestation (with the applicant’s name and PoR card number) has to be presented at any PCM centre in order to obtain a new PoR card. The individual who has lost the card will need to attend in person. It is important to note that the FIR from the police should include the applicant’s name, father’s name, province and district of residence in Pakistan and province and district of origin in Afghanistan, PoR card number, police station’s telephone number and address and name of the person who issued the letter.
- Issuance of a PoR card to registered children that have turned five years of age. It means that children who have reached the age of five years, who are already registered with their parents and whose parents hold a valid PoR card are entitled to receive their own individual PoR card in the PCM centres. To receive their PoR cards, the parent holding the valid PoR card on the back of which the child is registered has to accompany the child to the PCM centre(s) in order to record the child’s photograph and biometric information. The PoR card of the parent on which the child’s registration information was recorded will also need to be modified and re-issued.
- After submission of application, the new, duplicate or modified PoR cards should be available for collection at the PCM centre within two weeks of the application. Applicants can send their PoR card number per SMS to the number 7000 to check the availability of their card.
Individual PoR Cards of Children:
Children who have reached the age of five years, who are already registered with their parents and whose parents hold a valid PoR card are entitled to receive their own individual PoR card in the PCM centres. To receive their PoR cards, the parent holding the valid PoR card on the back of which the child is registered has to accompany the child to the PCM centre in order to record the child’s photograph and biometric information. Furthermore, the PoR card of the parent on which the child’s registration information was recorded will also need to be modified and re-issued.
Legal entitlements of a PoR card:
The PoR card is an identity document and entitles the cardholder to legally remain in Pakistan until the 31st December 2015. The card is valid throughout Pakistan. It is important that registered Afghans carry their PoR cards at all times and present it to law enforcement agencies on demand. Furthermore, the PoR cardholders have the right to reside in Pakistan and cannot be arrested under the 1946 Foreigners Act or other preventive laws. However, the PoR card does not give immunity from criminal prosecution if bearers are involved in criminal activities or breach the law of Pakistan.
Please note that the PoR card is not a travel document and does not allow its holder to cross international borders, including between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Important Information for Afghan Refugees:
Afghans holding PoR cards that expired on 31 December 2012 or before are no longer considered as persons of concern to the Government of Pakistan and UNHCR. They are hence no longer entitled to any assistance provided by UNHCR and its partners, including voluntary repatriation assistance.
Afghans who never held a PoR card, including family members of PoR cardholders who were never registered with NADRA are not entitled to the issuance of PoR cards. However, they may wish to approach NADRA during the upcoming registration exercise for undocumented Afghans residing in Pakistan. Information on this exercise will be shared by the Government of Pakistan. They may also apply for refugee status with UNHCR if they are able to establish in a comprehensive interview that they cannot return to Afghanistan because they fear for their life or liberty. Information on how to access the refugee status determination procedure and the applicable criteria for being granted refugee status is available from UNHCR.
