Hasiba Noori is a 38 years old famous female Afghan singer, who sought refuge in Pakistan’s Islamabad, killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Her close friends and fellow singers confirmed the news.
Hasiba Noori was a popular Pashto singer who had performed on various Afghan TV channels, such as Ariana Television and AMC TV. She had sung songs such as “Mina”, “Sabza Janam”, and “Ala Yaram” .
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According to some reports, Hasiba Noori had fled from Afghanistan a year ago, after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, and had settled in Pakistan as a refugee.
She was one of the many Afghan artists and celebrities who had left the country fearing for their lives and careers under the Taliban administration, which has inflicted severe restrictions on women’s rights and cultural activities.
She was celebrated for her captivating performances of traditional folk songs presented in a modern style where she had gradually resumed her artistic activities.
A similar incident happened in 2021
In year 2021 Afghan folk singer Fawad Andarabi was dragged from his home and killed by the Taliban in a restive mountain province north of Kabul.
His son, Jawad, told the media that the singer was “shot in the head” at the family’s farm in the Andarab Valley in the northern Baghlan province. The folk singer was a resident of Andarabi Valley for which he was named, an area of Baghlan province some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kabul. The country had seen upheaval since the Taliban took over, creating havoc amongst common people, artists, singers, journalists, etc, and now after the death of Hasina Noori refugees are under great threat.
According to the UNHCR, there are about 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and many more undocumented ones.
The Pakistani government has repeatedly asked the Afghan refugees to return to their country, citing security and economic reasons, but many of them are reluctant to do so due to the ongoing violence and instability in Afghanistan.
The UNHCR has urged the Pakistani authorities to ensure the safety and dignity of the Afghan refugees and to respect their international obligations.
