ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, announced on Wednesday that Afghan nationals residing in Islamabad must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by December 31 or face expulsion from the city.
“No Afghan national will be allowed to stay in Islamabad without an NOC after December 31,” Naqvi said, according to remarks reported by The Express Tribune.
Speaking to reporters in the wake of recent protests by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mr. Naqvi underscored the government’s efforts to regulate foreign nationals living in the capital.
Naqvi also dismissed allegations that the government’s handling of the protests had resulted in multiple fatalities.
“There is a lot of noise about bodies in hospitals, but no one is giving specifics,” he said. “I asked the protesters to name even one person who died, but they couldn’t provide a single name.”
The interior minister added that a detailed report on the protests would soon be submitted to Pakistan’s High Court.
Concerns among Afghan nationals
The announcement has heightened fears among Afghan nationals in Pakistan, many of whom say they face increasing restrictions despite holding legal documentation. Several Afghans have reported staying indoors to avoid the risk of detention by the Pakistani police.
Pakistan is home to an estimated 1.3 million undocumented Afghan refugees, alongside hundreds of thousands of registered ones. Tensions over their residency status have been rising as Islamabad tightens its policies on foreign nationals.
The new requirement comes amid broader measures by the Pakistani government to address domestic unrest and manage its foreign population, in a climate of political and economic instability.
