Story highlights The boy's older brother made the jersey from a plastic bag

The family had received threats in Afghanistan, the boy's father says

(CNN) The family of a young Afghan boy, who gained worldwide fame after being photographed wearing a makeshift Lionel Messi soccer jersey fashioned from a plastic bag, has fled to Pakistan after receiving threats, the father of the boy told CNN.

The family is now living in Quetta and has submitted an application with the United Nations seeking asylum in Pakistan.

"I received 20-30 unknown threatening calls in Afghanistan asking why I'm teaching my kid about football and not teaching him about the Quran," the boy's father, Muhammad Arif Ahmadi, told CNN.

The family decided to flee to Pakistan 40 days ago for their safety, he said.

"I thought, 'I'm not safe here.' That's when I decided to come to Pakistan," Ahmadi said. "Afghanistan cannot protect itself, so how can it protect me and my kids?"

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