The art team of Nay Negar visual arts organization (www.nnvac.com ) intended to hold a large painting exhibition titled “Dark Cage” on June 10th in Islamabad located at E11, Pacific hotel. The purpose of this exhibition was to amplify the voices of women to the world and depict the bitter situation of women during the two years of Taliban rule, under the burden of oppression, violence, and restrictions. It aimed to portray the Taliban’s abuses against Afghan women and girls in prisons, shed light on the greatest tragedy inflicted upon female students by the Taliban, depriving them of their right to education, and depict the thousands of crimes committed by the Taliban against the Hazara people, including the killing and massacre of female students in educational institutions such as Kaj …. The ultimate goal was to bring the voices of oppressed women and girls to the attention of the world, the United Nations, and human rights defenders.

From May 15th to June 9th, coordination was made with numerous guests. Pakistani diplomats, human rights defenders, legal institutions, and civil activists were invited from embassies UNHCR -SHARP …. and consulates.

Furthermore, more than twenty domestic and international media outlets, such as BBC,DW,VOA,Afghanistan international, were invited to cover the news of this exhibition,

On the night before the exhibition, during the transfer of the paintings to the intended venue,  due we had to covering them with white sheets to hide their images. When we brought the paintings to the hotel, the owner and manager, after seeing the artworks, expressed fear and horror. They stated that these paintings carry strong political and religious messages and pose a great risk to them, their lives, and their business. They firmly refused to allow us to exhibit these images in their premises .and demanded that we remove the paintings and leave the salon as soon as possible. We talked a lot until they agreed and allowed us but they don’t let us

Despite all these fears, we took action again to hold the exhibition on June 24th, and we went to obtain permission from the Pakistani commissioner. During this period, all the preliminary work was done until the Commissioner’s approval and permission were granted. 

After seeing the letter and discussing it with someone, I don’t know who, they contacted me later and said they don’t oppose women’s rights, but they need to see the images to ensure they won’t cause problems for them. 

After I provided the website address and they saw the images, they contacted me again and said these images could be very problematic. They said they needed to consult with a few more people, and if they allowed it, they would give permission to us. Otherwise, they apologized and asked us to come back in two days. 

When we returned, they said these images are completely problematic and against the laws of Pakistan. They also conveyed a strong political message to the Taliban and the world, which creates problems for Pakistan. Due to this, they couldn’t grant us the permit. They stated that we could still hold the exhibition, but they couldn’t give us permission, or NOC. 

Later, we contacted the Hazara National Congress to organize the exhibition online, and they agreed to hold it in Germany on July 29th and 30th to amplify the voices of women to the international community.