The Pakistan government and UNHCR have temporarily postponed the commencement of the “Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise” (DRIVE) for Afghanistan refugees, media reports said.

The government has cited COVID-19 issue for delaying the process, IBNS said.

The card renewal and verification exercise for Afghan refugees was set to formally begin on April 1, 2021, said a press release as quoted by The News International.

The government of Pakistan and UNHCR remain committed to the DRIVE exercise, which will be undertaken as soon as conditions permit, it added