Afghan artists appeal to Peshawar High Court against repatriation

PESHAWAR: A group of Afghan artists, who have been residing in Pakistan, have taken their appeal to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to resist repatriation.

These artists, registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) through a token system, are seeking refuge in Pakistan due to the ban on music imposed by the Afghan Taliban, which has made it impossible for them to continue their artistic pursuits in their home country.

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The artists, facing an uncertain future in Afghanistan where their creative expressions are stifled, have turned to the PHC to prevent their deportation. The legal application names several key entities, including the Federal Government, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Directorate General of Immigration, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), as parties involved in the case.

The backdrop to this appeal is the music ban imposed by the Afghan Taliban, which has resulted in the closure of many cultural and artistic spaces in Afghanistan. This restriction has had a significant impact on artists and musicians who fear for their safety and the inability to pursue their passions in their homeland.