Pakistan provincial government requests halt to deportation of famed 'Afghan Girl'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 November 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistan provincial government requests halt to deportation of famed 'Afghan Girl', 6 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a20027.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 06, 2016
Pakistani security officials escort Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula (center, in burqa) after a court hearing in Peshawar on November 4.
A provincial government in Pakistan has requested federal authorities to stop the deportation of National Geographic's famed 'Afghan Girl.'
A Pakistani court convicted Sharbat Gula, the green-eyed girl who appeared on the cover of the magazine in 1985, of possessing forged identity papers.
Gula, now in her 40s, received a 15-day jail term, a fine of 110,000 rupees (about $1,100), and was ordered to be deported back to Afghanistan on November 7.
But authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Gula was arrested last month, have now said federal authorities should grant refugee status to Gula, saying it would improve Pakistan's image.
Pakistan has come under severe international criticism for its treatment of Gula, with Amnesty International on November 4 calling her deportation "a grave injustice."
In July, the government in Islamabad began a crackdown on the estimated 2.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the second-largest refugee population in the world.
The United Nations said more than 350,000 Afghan refugees – documented and undocumented – have returned to their homeland claiming to have been beaten by police, detained, and evicted from their homes in Pakistan.
Based on reporting by Tolo News and Dawn
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
