The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the federal government to decide asylum cases of Afghan artistes under the principle of non-refoulement.
On Friday, the top provincial court also declared Afghan singers and musicians should not be deported till that decision was made.
The directives were issued in a ruling by a division bench comprised of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad.
The judges ruled the petitioners also be allowed to apply UNHCR for recommending their cases to the federal government for the grant of asylum.
Cases of all petitioners would be settled by the federal government or an officer notified by it for grant or refusal of asylum within two months, the court said.
It added until the final decision was taken, the petitioners would neither be ousted nor otherwise compelled to leave Pakistan and go back to their native country.
Federal and provincial law-enforcement agencies were restrained from acting against the petitioners for 60 days or the time sought by the central government.
In June 2024, the high court had stayed deportations of the Afghan petitioners until further orders. The petition had been filed on behalf of 157 Afghan musicians and singers.
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