New Delhi: With flower bouquets and rose garlands, Pakistan welcomed some visitors from Afghanistan Wednesday. No, not the Taliban. These are Afghanistan’s junior women footballers who had been hiding from Taliban since their last failed attempt to leave the country around three weeks ago. Now, they have reached Pakistan with their family members, leaving some Pakistanis wondering if they will now play under Pakistan’s flag.
Pakistan information minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry confirmed their arrival: We welcome Afghanistan Women football team they arrived at Torkham Border from Afghanistan,The players were in possession of valid Afg Passport, pak visa, They were received by Nouman Nadeem of PFF.”
We welcome Afghanistan Women football team they arrived at Torkham Border from Afghanistan,The players were in possession of valid Afg Passport, pak visa, They were received by Nouman Nadeem of PFF
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 14, 2021
According to a report in Dawn, the Pakistan government had issued emergency visas to evacuate 32 players who had been receiving threats from the Taliban. The senior players had managed to leave for Australia on 24 August but the junior members couldn’t because of documentation issues.
Meanwhile, the women cricketers are still hiding in Kabul and expecting to be evacuated soon.
Also read: ‘Burn my degrees, photos of me without hijab’: Afghan women in India tell families back home
Taliban threat
The Taliban’s return has put artists, sportspersons – especially women athletes – and journalists in danger.
A Taliban spokesperson had earlier said that the regime forbids women from playing any sports.
Khalida Popal, former captain of Afghanistan women’s football team, had urged players to delete their social media accounts, erase their public identity and burn their kits.
In an interview to The Guardian in August, Popal had expressed her disappointment, “To earn that badge on the chest, to have the right to play and represent our country, how much we were proud.”
Also read: US’ ‘save Afghan women’ chorus has a problem—it’s laden with colonial missionary stereotypes
Fleeing terror
On 24 August, 77 Afghan athletes left Kabul for Australia, aided by former Australian football player Craig Foster and human rights lawyer and former Olympian Nikki Dryden.
“All of us felt very strongly about women’s rights and gender equality. We’ve been working on that for a long time here in Australia in sport, and to see really brave, courageous, female footballers and Paralympians and others were now going to be put at risk, simply because they’re exercising their human right to play sport, was just wrong,” Foster had said in an interview.
Foster had also shared women footballers’ beautiful letters of thanks to the Australian government, and some hand-drawn images.
The Afghan Women’s National Football Team, safely in quarantine on Australian soil, wanted to send a heartfelt message of thanks to the Aust Government & people, all who helped them escape Kabul.
And some beautiful images of love & a shared future.
Welcome to your new home ? pic.twitter.com/zB2rWthPen
— Craig Foster (@Craig_Foster) September 4, 2021
Britain-based NGO Football for Peace was behind the latest effort to help the women footballers leave Afghanistan. The NGO coordinated with the Pakistani government and the country’s football federation, which was suspended by the FIFA earlier this year.
In August, FIFA joined international footballers’ federation Fifpro in writing to governments around the world to provide assistance to Afghan players.
Also read: The world must not look away as Taliban sexually enslaves women and girls
Reaction of people
Pakistani citizens have welcomed the move to help Afghan players escape Taliban rule. Some wondered whether the players will now play under Pakistan’s flag.
I want to know if they're going to play under our flag now? bcs that's how foreign countries do https://t.co/ozxYVCZXSu
— Haris (@haris_ahmed8) September 15, 2021
Give them a base to play – please do look after them! https://t.co/txOf5NeDMW
— Ahsan Ellahi (@ahsan_ellahi11) September 15, 2021
Pakistani-origin American filmmaker Cyntihia Richie also welcomed the young footballers.
Warm welcome to Pakistan.
— Cynthia Ritchie ✍? (@CynthiaDRitchie) September 14, 2021
One journalist described it as a “very liberal step” by the government of Pakistan.
Very liberal step by @GovtofPakistan to issue emergency humanitarian visas for #Afghan #women #footballers to safely get out of #Afghanistan.
We hope similar decision May also be taken to facilitate Afghan journalists.
@FIFAcom https://t.co/nwXbMZdjKj
— Iqbal Khattak ? (@khattak63) September 15, 2021
Many also appreciated Khalida Popol for her efforts in the evacuation of the players.
Khalida Popol, who helped mastermind the secret evacuation of the Afghan women's football team from Kabul airport has just managed to extract another 79 players.
Check out our #longread on her Herculean efforts to get the players to safety, here: https://t.co/fjjo5cxUkS https://t.co/3QwaE1qaU0
— Joe Parkinson (@JoeWSJ) September 15, 2021
(Edited by Prashant)