A Pakistani court suspends the deportation of Afghan singers and musicians

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PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani court on Friday stopped the deportation of 150 Afghan musicians and singers for at least two months, ordering authorities not to expel or force them to return home until their asylum applications are decided, their defense lawyer said Friday.

These Afghans were among an estimated half a million others who escaped Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Like the rest of the world, Pakistan has so far not recognized Afghanistan’s Taliban government. The international community has been wary of the Taliban’s harsh measures, imposed since their takeover, especially in restricting the rights of women and minorities.

Mumtaz Ahmed, a lawyer who fought the legal battle for 150 Afghan performers, told The Associated Press that the court order was the first of its kind and a big relief for his clients, who have lived in a state of uncertainty since 2023, when Pakistan launched a major crackdown on migrants in the country illegally.

The crackdown drew widespread criticism by U.N. agencies which said such forced expulsions of Afghans could lead to severe human rights violations — including family separations and the deportation of minors.

In the past 18 months, Pakistan has deported more than 800,000 Afghans who were living in the country without valid documents after entering the country through various border crossings since 2021.

Ahmed said under the court order, Pakistan is required to decide the fate of the applications of 150 Afghan musicians and singers in the next two months, and the Afghans were also entitled to register with the U.N. refugee agency to get the status of refugees.

“I am very happy and we are grateful to the court and we hope now we will not face any harassment and forced expulsions,” Heshmat Ali, an Afghan singer, said.

He said Afghan singers and musicians would not be safe if they were forced to go back.

Afghan refugees can live in Pakistan until June 2025, according to a government order last year.

Pakistan has long hosted an estimated 1.7 million Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country.