In a decision that will likely help tens of thousands of people, the Supreme Court of Islam Abad today, Thursday, ordered that all Afghan refugees who were born in the nation to refugee fathers be granted citizenship.
Since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, millions of Afghans have fled their country in an effort to find safety in neighbouring Pakistan.
Thousands of children from those refugee families have since been born in Pakistan, yet they do not possess the nationality of either country.
The matter issued by the chief judge came from Menna Allah, in response to a petition from an Afghan man, 24, born in Pakistan, but he was refused to grant citizenship, according to his lawyer Omar Gilani.
Over two million Afghan refugees, the most of them since 1979, are said to be residing in Pakistan, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Citizenship for Afghan refugees is ordered by a Pakistani court.
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