Reprieve in the making?: Govt won’t oppose Sharbat Gula’s bail on humanitarian grounds

'Gula was now a widow and her eldest daughter had also recently passed away'

Tahir Khan October 31, 2016

A then and now image of Sharbat BIbi published in National Geographic in 2002

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan hinted that the iconic Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, whose face once graced the National Geographic cover, would be freed soon.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested Gula, now a woman in her mid 40s, in Peshawar last week. The court is scheduled to hear her case on November 1.

The interior minister, who was addressing a news conference on the situation arising out of controversial news on security issues, also briefly talked about Sharbat Gula.

Nisar said that Sharbat Gula’s bail application “will not be opposed on humanitarian grounds”. But he hastened to add that her possible release should not affect efforts of the registration authorities, currently grappling with the issue of fake ID cards.

Sharbat Gula, whom Zakhilwal describes as one of the world’s most recognised images, again attracted the world media attention after she was arrested in Peshawar last week. Afghan writers say she belonged to Pachir Aw Agam, a district in eastern Nangarhar province, bordering Pakistan.

Gula’s arrest not only highlighted the plight of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan, but also the failure of the Afghan government to create a safe environment for the refugees’ return.

As the media splashed the news, Afghan Ambassador Zakhilwal, issued a statement to announce that he is trying to fight a legal battle for the girl and also requested Pakistan to release her.

The Afghan ambassador earlier maintained that a legal team had been formed to pursue Sharbat Gula’s case, adding that diplomatic efforts had also been mounted to secure her release.

The envoy maintained that Gula was now a widow and her eldest daughter had also recently passed away.

“She is a poor woman heading her family now,” the ambassador said in a statement after he raised the issue with Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz.

But many would ask the Afghan envoy and other Afghan officials as to why they ignored such a revered personality for decades and why they take action only after she was sent to jail last week.

Although Kabul’s efforts to secure the freedom of Sharbat Gula and repatriate her could be seen in a positive light, many viewed these efforts to be politically-motivated.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.