COLOMBO, Feb 19: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has given protection to two Pakistani sisters who fled their country last month after accusing their parents of persecution.Asma Azeem (22) and Fatima Azeem (16), who have been staying in the Sri Lankan capital since arriving here almost 20 days ago, told Dawn they fear their parents might use their “political connections” in Pakistan to pressure Colombo to send them home.

The sisters' mother and her brother filed a petition in a Colombo court for custody of the sisters. They also said Asma and Fatima had stolen gold from their own home. The girls admitted to stealing gold.

But the court dismissed the petition and barred the mother and the uncle from visiting the girls till March 14.

“I admit that I took the gold. It was the only way to get out (of Pakistan) and get the freedom I want. When I start earning I will pay it back, with interest,” Asma said. Dawn

Asma, who studied computer science at universities in Pakistan and Britain, told that she and Fatima aspired to becoming singers, but since their parents would not allow them to go abroad for studying music, they decided to escape the “repressive atmosphere”.