AJmal Haikalzada, 44, first became a refugee when his artist father left Afghanistan for Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s. In 2001, then a musician, he returned, sang and performed throughout the country of his birth after the US overthrew the Taliban.
Two decades later, he fled again when the Taliban occupied Kabul.
Now in Peshawar, Pakistan, Haikalzada said that after the Taliban returned, musicians and artists were confined to their homes, musical institutions were closed and musicians hid their instruments. They heard stories of the Taliban destroying musical instruments in Kabul.
But neighboring Pakistan did not provide the safety he hoped for. Last month, Haikalzada was arrested when the crackdown on Afghan refugees began.
“Since Afghanistan is no longer a country for artists, I sold all my musical instruments to save my life. I thought we could perform music and preserve our art in Pakistan but we were wrong,” Haikalzada said. .
“The police asked for my national identity card and when they found it, they arrested me because I was an unregistered refugee.” He was released two days later.
The same thing happened in May to Nadeem Shah, 24, one of four Afghan musicians arrested on suspicion of being illegally in Pakistan. “We are asked to provide proof of registration, which we do not own,” he said.
“It becomes difficult to convince the police that we are artists who have been forced to flee. No one left their home by choice – it was a matter for safety, because of this, we left a piece of ourselves at home. But here too, we are being harassed. ”
Pakistan has hosted at least 1.4 million registered refugees and more than 1.5 million unregistered refugees, with no legal status, since the 1980s. Hundreds and thousands of Afghans fled Pakistan last year after the Taliban seized control of Kabul. They are requesting registered refugee status because the country is facing an economic crisis.
In the capital, Islamabad, more than 450 Afghan families are living in temporary houses and camped near the press club to request registration or settlement in a third country. There are cops scattered them with violencewhich provokes criticism from civil society groups.
Pakistani organizations including Hunari Tolana, Hunar Kor and Mafkoora are campaigning for the rights of more than 150 Afghan artists registered with them.
Hayat Roghani, the president of Mafkoora, said they had asked the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and Pakistani authorities to provide proof of registration to Afghan artists. “We are only asking for PORs for Afghan artists who should be allowed to travel and perform in Pakistan,” he said.
Kainat Tufan, 22, a singer who appeared on various TV channels in Afghanistan, wore a veil to hide her tattoos and hid herself as the wife of the smuggler to cross into Pakistan.
“We spent a month in Kabul after the capture, helpless, crying and hungry. Those who could have fled did so right away. I gave my Afghan passport and identity card to borrow $ 200 (£ 169) to travel to Pakistan by Spin Boldak, ”he said.
“I had to flee because Afghanistan is no longer a land for women and there is no space for artists. Even though there is no space for women at all. It has become a country dominated by men. We, women, we want to give back our space. ”
The crackdown in Peshawar sparked a musical protest by Afghan and Pakistani artists in the city, who performed, sang slogans and held placards, demanding the release of the arrested musicians.
Ustad Sanam Gul, 50, a well -known musician from Afghanistan who fled Pakistan, is among them. Gul came from a long line of musicians and earned the title ustad (teacher) from the state, with more than 60 students under his care at his two academies in Kabul and Jalalabad.
After Kabul fell, he opened a petrol station, but it was destroyed by the Taliban, who told him he could not work because he promoted music and played for the state.
Playing his dholak, a small drum with two heads, Gul said: “My students and other musicians tried to convince the Taliban to allow us to continue the work, but it did not succeed. A friend’s musical academy in Kabul was destroyed by the Taliban. For music and art, Afghanistan has closed its doors. “
He said that music not only connects hearts but also nations: “The Taliban should allow music and I also ask the Pakistani authorities to help us perform and connect with [the] masses, instead of harassing us and keeping us under surveillance. ”
