Peshawar High Court grants bail to 68 Afghan nationals holding Pakistan Origin Cards

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has granted bail to 68 Afghan petitioners, including children under the age of 18 and holders of Pakistan Origin Cards (POCs), ordering their release.

Court orders release of detained Afghans

The petitioners, who were in detention, approached the Peshawar High Court seeking bail. The group of 68 individuals included minors — children under 18 years of age — as well as Afghan nationals who possessed Pakistan Origin Cards, a document issued to individuals of Pakistani descent living abroad or those with certain ties to Pakistan.

The court accepted their petitions and ordered the release of all 68 individuals on bail. The decision is significant as it pertains to Afghan nationals who hold documentation linking them to Pakistan, raising questions about their detention in the first place.

POC holders among the detained

Pakistan Origin Cards are issued to foreign nationals of Pakistani origin, granting them certain rights and privileges within the country. The inclusion of POC holders among those detained and subsequently granted bail highlights the complexities surrounding the legal status of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan, particularly those who hold valid Pakistani documentation.

The presence of minors among the 68 petitioners also drew the court's attention, as children under 18 were part of the group that had been detained. The PHC's decision to grant bail to the entire group, including the minors, underscores the court's consideration of humanitarian factors in adjudicating such cases.

Background on Afghan nationals in Pakistan

Pakistan hosts a significant population of Afghan nationals, many of whom have been living in the country for decades. The legal status of these individuals has been a matter of ongoing debate, particularly in the context of repatriation drives and documentation requirements enforced by Pakistani authorities.

The Peshawar High Court's ruling to grant bail to the 68 petitioners adds to the growing body of judicial decisions addressing the rights of Afghan nationals in Pakistan, especially those who hold valid identification documents such as Pakistan Origin Cards. The court's order for their release is expected to have implications for similar cases pending before the courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.