Afghanistan women's youth soccer team successfully flee to Pakistan

The women soccer players of the junior national team from Afghanistan have escaped Kabul and entered the Pakistan. The junior players had been hiding for at least a month because they were afraid of the Taliban's assault on women's rights. After the Taliban took control of Kabul, last month, the senior national women team's players flew out of the land, however, the young team was stuck behind due to the absence of passports as well as other official paperwork. 

As per BBC, after a charitable organisation "Football for Peace" persuaded Pakistan, 32 players along with their families were granted visas. According to a Football Federation official of Pakistan, the 81 individuals comprising of the players and family will be accommodated at the Pakistan Football Federation's headquarters in the eastern city of Lahore. He added on Thursday,  another 34 individuals will join. The junior players would stay in Pakistan for 30 days under strict security before seeking shelter in foreign nations. 

According to the Independent, the junior players wrote to Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, requesting access to enter the nation as soon as possible. The letter which is sent to the Prime Minister reveals that the girls were allegedly facing "severe threats" from the Taliban. Following the collapse of Kabul, the senior national team's former captain, Khalida Popal, advised players to remove photos from social media of themselves playing and burn their uniforms to avoid retaliation from the new administration. 

Taliban's opinion on women's sport

On the other hand, As per BBC, in answer to a query regarding the destiny of the women's cricket team, the deputy chairman of the Taliban's cultural committee, Ahmadullah Wasiq, threw uncertainty on the future of women's sport in the nation, saying that it was neither suitable nor essential. He informed that the women cricket players may find themselves in a position where their face and body are not clothed while playing cricket. He also stated that women are not allowed to be viewed in this way in Islam. 

Wasiq went on to say that due to the emergence of media, there will be photographs and videos, and people will watch them playing. Women are not allowed to play cricket o any other sports that expose themselves in Islam or the Islamic Emirate (Afghanistan). 

During the Taliban's past reign of terror, from 1996 to 2001, women were prohibited from engaging in sports. While, the country's top pop singer Aryana Sayeed and renowned film director Sahraa Karimi also fled during the evacuation operation last month, in addition to the senior women's soccer team. 

(Image: Twitter/ @TRTWorldNow)