In transit: Nazia Iqbal stuck in Afghanistan over visa issues

Singer’s passport taken after she reentered on a single-entry visa.

ISLAMABAD: Pashto singing sensation Nazia Iqbal found herself in a spot of trouble and unable to return home due to a visa complication while she was touring Afganistan, sources close to the artiste said.

Afghan immigration officials took her passport when she landed in Kabul on August 28 as she did not have the privilege of double entry. Though valid till September, Afghan authorities said Iqbal entered the country once on the same visa and could not reenter, her concert manager told The Express Tribune.

“Nazia Iqbal planned to return on Saturday but could not travel as her passport is still with Afghan authorities,” a source said from Kabul via telephone. The singer was forced to return to her hotel from the airport.

Meanwhile, her manager said the problem would be solved soon.

“Afghan authorities changed the law just five days ago and we were caught unaware,” he said. He also said Iqbal would stay on for a few more days as she had plans for more music shows.

Sources close to her manager said the Pashto singer would approach the Pakistani embassy to resolve the issue. “Afghan officials have advised her to get a letter from the Pakistani embassy, requesting the Kabul administration to allow her to return home,” the source said.

Pakistani Pashto singers are more popular in Afghanistan than their own country and frequently visit for concerts. However, some were shocked over the treatment of Iqbal due to a minor visa issue and believed it was a bad omen for people-to-people contact between the two countries.

Thousands of Pakistanis and Afghans, living along the border between the two countries, cross over without visas.

Whenever ties deteriorate between Pakistan and Afghanistan, it affects the relationship between people from both countries. Observers believe the blame game played by both countries should not affect common people.

Pakistan hosts nearly three million Afghans, including over one million who are unregistered.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2014.