Peshawar, March 25 A Pakistani court has dismissed a writ petition filed by Afghan singers and musicians seeking protection from deportation, while directing them to approach relevant authorities to regularize their stay in the country through valid visas.
A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court comprising Justices Waqar Ahmad and Farah Jamshed on Tuesday rejected the plea filed by about 108 Afghan artists who had requested the court to halt their possible repatriation to Afghanistan.
The court advised the petitioners to first seek relief from the government by applying for valid visas.
The bench observed that if the applicants fail to obtain any relief from the authorities, they may return to the court for further legal recourse.
The petition, jointly filed by musicians, singers and other artistes, was dismissed after a brief hearing.
In their plea, the petitioners had urged the court to direct the Ministry of Interior, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to facilitate their registration, documentation and temporary legal stay in Pakistan.
They also sought a decision on their pending protection claims before international bodies.
The applicants argued that deportation to Afghanistan would expose them to serious threats under the Taliban administration. They maintained that returning them in the current circumstances would be unlawful and unconstitutional.
Their counsel, Babar Khan Yousafzai, told the court that his clients are primarily associated with music and performing arts fields that face strict restrictions under the Taliban rule.
He said artists have been systematically subjected to threats, violence and repression since the Taliban came to power.
The lawyer further stated that many of the petitioners fled to Pakistan to protect themselves and their families, as they lacked alternative means of livelihood and faced the risk of persecution or even death if repatriated.
The petition had named several respondents, including federal and provincial secretaries, the Director General of NADRA, the Director General of Immigration and Passports, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and home secretary, as well as representatives of UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
