Afghan Nationals to Obtain NOC to Stay in Islamabad Beyond 2024

By Sahibzada M. Usman

Afghan Nationals to Obtain NOC to Stay in Islamabad Beyond 2024

In a major statement, Pakistan's Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi said that from 31 December 2024, no Afghan national would be permitted to reside in Islamabad without NOC. This decision forms part of a general plan to check the influx of foreigners in the capital - a sign that the nature of threat in Pakistan is real and that the government is not taking any chances. The need to obtain an NOC for Afghan nationals will thus likely have extensive ramifications on Pakistan's approach toward handling foreign residents especially considering increasing insecurity enhanced by some Afghans who have been involved in acts intended to destabilize the nation.

The signal to initiate this regulation can be linked with the fact that Pakistan felt the necessity to empower itself to regulate foreign nationals that are living in the country. It provides continuity of the state's powers over foreign presence, thus urging compliance with all legal acts within any foreign entity on its territory. For countries like Pakistan having security issues, this precaution is considered vital in tackling internal security threats and preventing people of interest from engaging in acts of terror or other criminal activities.

One of the main reasons for having an Afghan nationals get an NOC is that this would enable more stringent supervisions of their stay in Pakistan. In the recent past, several communities or groups rounded off for terror incidents, the most dangerous being the Army Public School (APS) - Peshawar mass shooting in 2014 and other terror-related disastrous mishaps, involved Afghan citizens or groups having Afghan members. They fuel anxiety of the danger that can emanate from foreign people especially individuals involved in terror related incidences or other related vices that complicate the stability of the state.

It also comes at the backdrop of a worrying trend that has seen Afghan nationals associated with political upheave and violence protests in Pakistan. Particularly arresting are allegations of Afghan nationals in fomenting or capitalizing on incidents of political protests in the country. Such actions call for enhance measures to control and check conduct of foreign nationals in the country to reduce such incidences of flare up. When needing an NOC from the Afghan government, Pakistan inadvertently became protective of such activities, to safeguard its country as much as possible against individuals who sponsor such activities for the purpose of destabilizing the state.

Furthermore, the choice is beneficial for the country's national security perspective in Pakistan. Security briefs indicate that while there are most Afghan nationals engage in some level of organized crime such as trafficking in narcotics, smuggling and affiliating with militant groups. Although it is dangerous to generalize this feeling to the whole Afghan community living in Pakistan, such activities have paved way for a feeling that the presence of Afghanistan within the Pakistani borders may be problematic. The Pakistan government wants to employ the NOC to add a layer of scrutiny on Afghan nationals, to help identify those with illicit intentions, for law enforcement to easily apprehend and deal with them accordingly.

In the same regards this regulation is also in lieu of the continuing threats from cross border militancy that in the Pakistan Afghanistan border areas. Due to this weak border, there has always been an easy incidence of militants and terrorists to cross the border and pose security threats in Pakistan. In deciding to tighten the screws on the refugee status of Afghanistan nationals Pakistan is perfectly right to do so to ensure that these individuals do not turn into instruments of terrorism or other related violent activities within this country. This regulatory move seeks to meet the international obligations that the country must host refugees but at the same time protecting the nation from undesirable foreign influence that may wish to take advantage of the nation's generosity to cause mayhem.

Even though the decision on accepting Afghan nationals to get an NOC is going to be mildly contested, it needs to be considered that, it is not a terrible idea to reject Afghan refugees or citizens. Afghan refugees have sought asylum in Pakistan at different phases by the power politics of regional players, but mainly after the Soviet intervention in 1980 by thousands of Afghan refugees. However, in the light of shifting security environment and problem of dealing with such a huge population, Pakistan is trying to redefine its attitude toward foreign guests. The NOC requirement is in prospect to guarantee that the existence of Afghan nationals in Islamabad and other regions of the country is not going to be a menace to the stability of the state.

To enable the successful enactment of this policy, it is suggested that the Pakistani government should set down vital rules and regulations that should be followed when issuing NOC. It should be worry-free to apply with the necessary arrangements for the Afghan nationals to show the reason why they need to reside in Islamabad: humanitarian, educational or otherwise. In addition, the authorities should outline the working and housing legalization timeline for all those who are already living in the capital before the 2024 end date.

Also, there should be noteworthy public awareness campaign for the Afghan nationals concerning the NOC policies as well as the reason behind the altered law compliance. This initiative might go a long way in avoiding confusion and preparing the affected parties for change of policy as depicted below. Local authorities and embassies should also co-operate to offer help to the Afghan nationals who might require some help in the process of implementation of the policy and still following the laws of the country and the rights of the man while implementing the policy to enhance the security of the country.

Thus, the decision of Pakistan to introduce the NOC for Afghans, to live in Islamabad after 2024, is an important action towards strengthening of the state's sovereignty, as well as enhancing of the national security. What the Pakistan authorities are doing now is initiating more strict control over the territory's usage, over some individuals or groups who may potentially endanger internal stability. It is crucial in the context of the shifting security environment; the effective communication strategy for this policy must follow the same principles as the policy itself - ensure that the principle of transparency and overall proportionality are maintained in relation to both national security and humanitarian objectives.

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