“The occupants of Afghanistan are not letting us live there and it is not possible for us to get a visa or passport in the current situation,” Amjad Shehzad, an Afghan artist, told Aaj News.

Shehzad had joined his fellow musicians outside the Peshawar Press Club. Some of the protesters were playing dhols, harmoniums, and shenais to record their protest. They demanded of the government not to deport them as their lives were in danger in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The hardline group has banned music while widely-shared vides show instruments being destroyed in public.

Other protesters were of the view that deporting them was a violation of human rights. In the wake of the Taliban taking over in August, Afghan artists fled to Pakistan via the Torkham border fearing for their life.

The protesters say they cannot be deported under the country’s Foreigners Act as they are refugees. “You cannot throw us to the wolves,” read one placard.

The protesters say that around 200 Afghan artists are living in Peshawar and four have so far been deported back to the war-torn country. Aaj News tried to contact the police but they did not respond.

The refugee artists perform in gatherings by playing instruments and on good days can earn between Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 for a performance. They also run YouTube channels to make ends meet.

Afghan artist Fawad Andarabi was killed by the Taliban back in September, a month after their takeover of the country. Protesters say at least two other artists were killed in the recent past.

“Artists were deported on the instructions of the federal government and the provincial government has nothing to do with their arrests,” Muhammad Ali, the special assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on information and public relations, told Aaj News.