By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi and Kian Sharifi
May 21, 2025

Afghan female athletes who fled to Pakistan to escape Taliban restrictions are facing a slew of problems, including poverty, a lack of training facilities, and uncertainty about their immigration status.

After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women and girls were banned from sports and taking part in competitions, leading many athletes to leave the country.

Many fled to neighboring Pakistan, hoping for better opportunities and the ability to practice their sport, but all they’ve found are more problems.

Jujitsu athlete Roya Abassi, who arrived in Pakistan with her family three years ago, says economic hardships and a dearth of training facilities have made life difficult.

And her status as an immigrant only makes things worse.

“It has been three years since I registered my migration application in Pakistan, and there is no news about my case,” she told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.

She said she submitted her application with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to travel to a Western country.

Shakila Muzafari, a former member of Afghanistan’s wheelchair basketball team, has been living alone and away from her family in Islamabad for the past three years. She described the difficult circumstances she faces as a refugee and disabled athlete in Pakistan.

“Someone who has no income and no support — how can they renew their visa when it costs between 20,000 and 25,000 rupees [$75 – $94] each month?” she told Radio Azadi.

She also highlighted the financial burdens beyond just visa costs, such as rent, and emphasized how the situation for Afghan refugees whand aco are athletes with disabilities is especially challenging.

“For Afghan refugees in Pakistan — especially those of us who are disabled athletes — it’s extremely difficult. We don’t have the financial means to work anywhere.”

Abdul Hussain Hesari, former head of Afghanistan’s Paralympic Committee, confirmed the difficulties faced by female Paralympic athletes and criticized how their cases have been handled by the UN refugee agency.

Speaking to Radio Azadi, Hesari charged that the UNHCR has not taken the athletes’ disability status into consideration and said their documents had not been properly processed.

Qaiser Afridi, the UNHCR spokesman in Pakistan, did not respond to Radio Azadi’s request for comment.

The Taliban’s ban on women’s sports is one of many severe restrictions imposed by the hard-line Islamist regime, which systematically denies Afghan women and girls access to education, employment, and freedom of movement, and prevents them from holding prominent roles in government or society.

Under Taliban rule, women are prohibited from traveling without a male guardian and are banned from taking part in athletic competitions or exercising in public gyms.

The UN has condemned the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women as “gender apartheid,” highlighting their systematic erasure from public life and severe punishments for resistance.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has been criticized by the UN and rights groups for its expulsion of Afghan refugees, which has seen hundreds of thousands deported across the border. Many had lived in Pakistan for decades, and now face uncertainty, poverty, and danger back in Afghanistan.

Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned Pakistan’s “opaque” repatriation plan, calling it arbitrary and cruel. They argue that the forced removals show little respect for international law and scapegoat a vulnerable community fleeing persecution.

Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.