Sharbat Gula likely to be deported early next week

PESHAWAR: Afghan refugee woman Sharbat Gula is likely to be deported to Afghanistan early next week after completion of the 15 days sentence awarded to her by a special court on Friday.

The fine of Rs110,000 imposed on her by the court for illegally acquiring Pakistani national identity card has already been paid on her behalf. The court also ordered her deportation and this could happen on Monday or Tuesday.

The Afghan government will facilitate Sharbat Gula’s return home. It had also hired lawyers to fight her case and senior officials of the Afghan embassy in Peshawar have been meeting and helping her in jail and later in hospital. President Ashraf Ghani’s government saw it as a high profile case and put pressure on Pakistan to release her on humanitarian grounds.

Sources said Sharbat Gula would be taken to Kabul after her deportation from Pakistan. President Ashraf Ghani is expected to receive her and announce financial assistance for her family. There were reports that Sharbat Gula is relieved that her court case is now over, but is worried about her future once she is deported to Afghanistan.