PESHAWAR: Withdrawing earlier request for permission to stay in Pakistan on humanitarian grounds, National Geographic famed ‘Afghan Girl’ Sharbat Gula has asked Pakistani authorities to send her back.

Officials in the know told Dawn that the news of the change of heart on part of Ms. Gula was conveyed to the home secretary by an Afghan diplomatic delegation consisting of Abdul Hameed Jalili and Naseem Kakar on Monday after which the authorities decided to send her back with dignity on Nov 9.

Sharbat Gula ordeal and deportation is likely to turn her into a poster woman of the strained Pak-Afghan ties, as the Afghan government apparently affronted by treatment meted out to her has decided to give a rousing welcome to her on her return to Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will receive her.

Also, an Afghan delegation is likely to accompany Ms. Gula on the way home.

Afghan woman withdraws stay plea, seeks deportation

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department issued a statement saying Sharbat Gula’s prison term will end on Nov 9 and that she will be sent home with dignity.

It said Ms. Gula, who is serving a 15 days jail term for obtaining Pakistani Computerised National Identity Card fraudulently, had submitted an application to jail authorities asking to be admitted to some major hospital in the city.

The statement added that the jail doctor diagnosed her with Hepatitis C and therefore, she was shifted from the prison to the Lady Reading Hospital on Nov 2.

It said Ms. Gula also submitted another application to the hospital urging Pakistani authorities not to deport her on completion of her prison term and rather allow her to stay put until the expiry of the deadline for the stay of other Afghan refugees in the country.

The statement said in light of her application, the KP home department was in contact with the interior ministry to address legal problems to let her stay in the country on humanitarian grounds and that things had made good progress in this regard.

“Now, Sharbat Gula has changed her decision and demanded she be sent back,” it said.

The statement added that the woman would be sent to Afghanistan with dignity after the prison term completed on Nov 9.

A senior relevant official said the Special Branch of the police had been asked to deport her.

He said the provincial home department was to take up her application with the interior ministry on Monday but her application seeking deportation to Afghanistan changed everything.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested Gula on Oct 26 for getting Pakistani CNIC through impersonation.

An FIR in this regard was registered on Oct 20 against Ms. Gula and five other people including three former National Database and Registration Authority employees over issuance of CNICs to them.

On Nov 4, she pleaded guilty before the court upon which the court sentenced her to 15 days imprisonment and Rs110,000 fine.

On Saturday, PTI chief Imran Khan tweeted, “I want to request CM KP and the KP govt not to deport Sharbat Gula to Afghanistan on humanitarian or compassionate grounds.”

However, the tweet was later deleted.

Afterwards, the KP government hinted at starting correspondence with the interior ministry through the home department to stop deportation of Ms. Gula and give her the refugee’s status.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2016