PESHAWAR: A Pakistani court issued a short order on Friday, barring the forced repatriation of about 150 Afghan singers and musicians who fled their country after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and directing federal authorities to determine their status within two months.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued the order after the musicians filed a petition last year, seeking asylum amid fears of persecution in their home country.
The Taliban had imposed a strict ban on music during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, suppressing musical expression and leading to the persecution of artists across Afghanistan.
A single-member bench of Justice Wiqar Ahmad issued a two-page short order, accepting the plea of the musicians and restraining the government from forcibly repatriating them to Afghanistan.
“The Federal Government or its notified officer shall decide cases of all these petitioners for grant or refusal of asylum within a period of two months,” the PHC order said.
“Till the final decision, these petitioners shall not be ousted from the territory of Pakistan nor otherwise compelled to leave Pakistan and go back to their native country Afghanistan,” it added.
Afghan nationals in Pakistan have lived in a state of uncertainty since 2023, when the government launched a major deportation drive against migrants living illegally in the country. The campaign primarily targeted Afghans amid an uptick in militant violence, with the government alleging that several of them were involved in attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces.
The Afghan authorities in Kabul denied the allegations, saying their citizens were not responsible for Pakistan’s security challenges.
The court order said if the federal authorities were unable to decide the cases within 60 days, the interior ministry’s secretary should issue permission allowing the petitioners to stay for a period sufficient to reach a final decision.
“Law Enforcement Agencies of the Federal Government as well as the Provincial Government are restrained from taking any adverse action against these petitioners for their stay in Pakistan for a period of 60 days or such extended time if allowed by the Federal Government,” it added.
Afghan musicians described the court order as a “ray of hope,” saying the recent crackdown on their fellow nationals had sent shockwaves through their community.
“We were in fear, but the recent decision of the court has sparked happiness among our community,” Zarwali Afghan, a musician from Afghanistan, told Arab News. “We hope that the government will consider our cases on humanitarian grounds.”
The Afghan Taliban hold the belief that music is forbidden in Islam, though several schools of thought within the religion differ with their interpretation.
Last year, authorities in Kabul were compelled to clarify their stance after their diplomats in Pakistan and Iran refrained from standing during the playing of national anthems at official ceremonies.
The incident was perceived by both countries as disrespectful and contrary to diplomatic norms. However, the Afghan Taliban explained that their representatives meant no harm and would have stood if the national anthems had been played without background music.
Arab News attempted to seek a response from the interior ministry over the court order, but its spokesperson did not respond.
Pakistan court halts Afghan musicians’ repatriation for two months, orders decision on asylum cases
https://arab.news/5uqnf
Pakistan court halts Afghan musicians’ repatriation for two months, orders decision on asylum cases
- Afghan musicians feared persecution and fled their country after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021
- They filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court last year amid the government’s deportation campaign
Pakistan opposition rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand release of Imran Khan
- PTI-led gathering calls the former PM a national hero and demands the release of all political prisoners
- Government says the opposition failed to draw a large crowd and accuses PTI of damaging its own politics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan at a rally in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, describing him as a national hero who continues to command public support.
The gathering came days after a rare and strongly worded briefing by the military’s media chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who dismissed Khan as “narcissistic” and “mentally ill” on Friday while responding to the former premier’s allegations that Pakistan’s chief of defense forces was responsible for undermining the constitution and rule of law.
He said that Khan was promoting an anti-state narrative which had become a national security threat.
The participants of the rally called for “civilian supremacy” and said elected representatives should be treated with respect.
“We, the people of Pakistan, regard Imran Khan as a national hero and the country’s genuinely elected prime minister, chosen by the public in the February 8, 2024 vote,” said a resolution presented at the rally in Peshawar. “We categorically reject and strongly condemn the notion that he or his colleagues pose any kind of threat to national security.”
“We demand immediate justice for Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all political prisoners, and call for their prompt release,” it added, referring to Khan’s wife who is also in prison. “No restrictions should be placed on Imran Khan’s meetings with his family, lawyers or political associates.”
Addressing the gathering, Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, denied his administration was not serious about security issues amid increased militant activity. However, he maintained the people of his province had endured the worst of Pakistan’s conflict with militancy and urged a rethinking of long-running security policies.
The resolution asked the federal government to restore bilateral trade and diplomatic channels with Afghanistan, saying improved cross-border ties were essential for the economic stability of the region.
The trade between the two neighbors has suffered as Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration in Kabul of sheltering and facilitating armed groups that it says launch cross-border attacks to target its civilians and security forces. Afghan officials deny the claim.
The two countries have also had deadly border clashes in recent months that have killed dozens of people on both sides.
Some participants of the rally emphasized the restoration of democratic freedoms, judicial independence and space for political reconciliation, calling them necessary to stabilize the country after years of political confrontation.
Reacting to the opposition rally, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar said the PTI and its allies could not gather enough people.
“In trying to build an anti-army narrative, they have ruined their own politics,” he said, adding that the rally’s reaction to the military’s media chief’s statement reflected “how deeply it had stung.”
“There was neither any argument nor any real response,” he added, referring to what was said by the participants of the rally.
