Afghan Music Falls Silent as Pakistan Expels Artists

For decades, Peshawar served as a vital sanctuary for Afghan artists, preserving musical traditions threatened by the Taliban. However, a recent wave of expulsions by Pakistani authorities has forced over a million Afghans, including these musicians, to leave since last year. The Taliban's repeated bans on music and persecution of artists have driven many to seek refuge in Pakistan, first from Soviet invaders in the 1980s and later from the Taliban's initial rise to power.

These exiled artists, including renowned singers and rubab masters, have kept Afghan music alive in Peshawar, performing in wedding halls and concert stages. Their musical archive, stored on thousands of cassette tapes dating back to the 1950s, is at risk of being lost. Many fear that if deported to Afghanistan, their instruments and recordings would be destroyed by the Taliban, effectively silencing a significant cultural heritage.