Pakistan Court dismisses Afghan artists’ plea against deportation, advises Visa regularisation

A Pakistani court has declined to grant immediate relief to more than 100 Afghan singers, musicians and performers seeking protection from deportation , underscoring the precarious situation faced by artists who fled Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The Peshawar High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by around 108 Afghan artistes , directing them instead to approach government authorities to regularise their stay through valid visas . The two-member bench, comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Farah Jamshed , observed that the petitioners must first seek administrative remedies before pursuing judicial intervention. It added that they could return to the court if no relief is granted by the authorities.

The petitioners, many of whom have been living in Pakistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, had urged the court to halt their possible deportation and facilitate their temporary legal stay . They also sought assistance with registration and documentation through agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration.

At the heart of the case lies a humanitarian concern . The applicants argued that returning to Afghanistan would expose them to grave danger under the Taliban regime, which has imposed sweeping restrictions on music and performing arts . Cultural expression has been curtailed, and artists have reportedly faced threats, violence and repression .

Their counsel, Babar Khan Yousafzai , told the court that many of his clients fled Afghanistan in fear for their lives , leaving behind their homes, careers and communities. In Pakistan, they have struggled to rebuild their lives, often without formal documentation , relying on informal work and support networks to survive.

With limited legal protection and few viable options for safe return, the artists now face an uncertain future caught between a country they cannot safely return to and one where their legal status remains unresolved.