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<p>The connection between the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains strong and mutually beneficial for all the parties involved with the Taliban as current rulers of Afghanistan acting as the nucleus of the entire set-up harbouring terror activities, a latest UN report has indicated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report highlights that terrorist groups are now able to freely operate under the Taliban's authority in Afghanistan, posing a significant threat of terrorism in the country and the wider region.</p>

<p>The report further describes that the Taliban's relationship with Al-Qaeda and TTP remains robust and symbiotic, enabling other terrorist groups to operate more freely under the Taliban's rule except for the ones that it sees as its rival.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The UNSC’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted its 14th annual report about the Taliban’s impact on the security situation in Afghanistan this month, in which it accused the regime of reverting to its "autocratic"&nbsp;policies of the late 1990s.</p>

<h2><strong>Taliban is allowing Afghanistan to be used for attack against other nations</strong></h2>

<p>Contrary to the Taliban's promises and subsequent claims of not allowing Afghan soil to be used for attacks against other countries, the report reveals that they have been harboring and actively supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).&nbsp;</p>

<p>In another contradiction, while the Taliban maintains ties with various terrorist entities, it has sought counter-terrorism assistance from member states in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-K), which it considers its primary rival.</p>

<p>“The Taliban leadership shows no signs of bending to pressure for reform or compromise, in the hope of earning international political recognition,” the report said, adding that Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada has been “proudly resistant” to external pressure to moderate his policies.</p>

<h2><strong>Taliban is not honoring Doha agreement: UN report</strong></h2>

<p>The Taliban has failed to fulfill its counter-terrorism obligations as outlined in the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States and the Taliban, the UN report said.</p>

<p>Moreover, the Taliban is helping Al-Qaeda rebuild its operational capability even amid a crisis of leadership after its leader Al-Zawahiri’s death in 2022.</p>

<h2><strong>What does the Taliban in Afghanistan mean for Pakistan?</strong></h2>

<p>Unlike the popular optics of August 201 showing Pakistani establishment mingling with Taliban as an apparent mark of US’ departure from the region, the snakes Islamabad has fed for decades have come to bite Pakistan itself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report underscores that the tight bond between the Afghan Taliban and TTP, similar to their relationship with Al-Qaeda, is unlikely to dissipate. This situation puts Pakistan to the test and raises the risk of heightened violence on both sides of the border.</p>

<h2><strong>Taliban shows no signs of reform</strong></h2>

<p>The report, the first to cover the entirety of the Taliban's period in power, indicates that the Taliban leadership shows no intention of reform or compromise to gain international political recognition. With no significant political opposition, the Taliban's unchecked authority has allowed foreign terrorist fighters sheltered by the group to become an increasingly significant security threat to neighboring countries.</p>

<h2><strong>Taliban, Al-Qaeda ties: Afghanistan a safe haven for terror</strong></h2>

<p>While the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Aiman al-Zawahiri in a Kabul house connected to Taliban's acting Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, did lead to a sense of distrust among its members, according to the latest UN report, Afghanistan continues to be a safe haven for Al-Qaeda.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Afghan women speak to WION from the ground: 'We want our freedoms back' | WION Originals</strong></p>

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<p>Al-Qaeda aims to strengthen its position in Afghanistan and has been collaborating with the Taliban, supporting the regime, and safeguarding senior Taliban figures.</p>

<p>Al-Qaeda maintains a low profile, utilising the country as an ideological and logistical hub for mobilisation, recruitment, and covertly rebuilding external operational capabilities. Al-Qaeda finances its activities through core funding and donations, including the use of hawala services and cryptocurrencies.</p>

<h2><strong>ISIL-K 'most serious terrorist threat'</strong></h2>

<p>ISIL-K has been identified as the most serious current terrorist threat in Afghanistan, neighboring countries, and Central Asia, according to member states.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-why-is-the-world-neglecting-afghan-women-552725">Exclusive: 'Why is the world neglecting Afghan women?'</a></strong></p>

<p>The group has enhanced its operational capabilities and freedom of movement within Afghanistan, aiming to sustain a high pace of mostly low-impact attacks while sporadically executing high-impact actions to incite sectarian conflicts and destabilise the region in the medium to long term.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over the past year, ISIL-K has claimed responsibility for more than 190 suicide bomb attacks targeting major cities, resulting in the death or injury of approximately 1,300 people.</p>

<h2><strong>Taliban rule in Afghanistan so far</strong></h2>

<p>Barely a month after coming to power, the Taliban banned girls from secondary education in September 2021.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On December 21, 2022, the Taliban <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-women-speak-to-wion-as-taliban-dismantles-their-right-to-education-campus-after-campus-545841">banned women from attending universities</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WION first reported in January 2023 when the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-afghan-women-fear-for-life-as-taliban-ban-male-doctors-from-treating-them-551218">Taliban-ruled in Balkh province</a> that male doctors can no longer treat female patients.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Taliban stormed to power virtually unchallenged after the withdrawal of US-led forces from the country in the first week of August 2021. The regime has not received international recognition especially due to its imposition of anti-women decrees.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
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The connection between the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains strong and mutually beneficial for all the parties involved with the Taliban as current rulers of Afghanistan acting as the nucleus of the entire set-up harbouring terror activities, a latest UN report has indicated.

The connection between the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains strong and mutually beneficial for all the parties involved with the Taliban as current rulers of Afghanistan acting as the nucleus of the entire set-up harbouring terror activities, a latest UN report has indicated. The report highlights that terrorist groups are now able to freely operate under the Taliban's authority in Afghanistan, posing a significant threat of terrorism in the country and the wider region. The report further describes that the Taliban's relationship with Al-Qaeda and TTP remains robust and symbiotic, enabling other terrorist groups to operate more freely under the Taliban's rule except for the ones that it sees as its rival. The UNSC’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted its 14th annual report about the Taliban’s impact on the security situation in Afghanistan this month, in which it accused the regime of reverting to its "autocratic" policies of the late 1990s. Taliban is allowing Afghanistan to be used for attack against other nations Contrary to the Taliban's promises and subsequent claims of not allowing Afghan soil to be used for attacks against other countries, the report reveals that they have been harboring and actively supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In another contradiction, while the Taliban maintains ties with various terrorist entities, it has sought counter-terrorism assistance from member states in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-K), which it considers its primary rival. “The Taliban leadership shows no signs of bending to pressure for reform or compromise, in the hope of earning international political recognition,” the report said, adding that Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada has been “proudly resistant” to external pressure to moderate his policies. Taliban is not honoring Doha agreement: UN report The Taliban has failed to fulfill its counter-terrorism obligations as outlined in the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States and the Taliban, the UN report said. Moreover, the Taliban is helping Al-Qaeda rebuild its operational capability even amid a crisis of leadership after its leader Al-Zawahiri’s death in 2022. What does the Taliban in Afghanistan mean for Pakistan? Unlike the popular optics of August 201 showing Pakistani establishment mingling with Taliban as an apparent mark of US’ departure from the region, the snakes Islamabad has fed for decades have come to bite Pakistan itself. The report underscores that the tight bond between the Afghan Taliban and TTP, similar to their relationship with Al-Qaeda, is unlikely to dissipate. This situation puts Pakistan to the test and raises the risk of heightened violence on both sides of the border. Taliban shows no signs of reform The report, the first to cover the entirety of the Taliban's period in power, indicates that the Taliban leadership shows no intention of reform or compromise to gain international political recognition. With no significant political opposition, the Taliban's unchecked authority has allowed foreign terrorist fighters sheltered by the group to become an increasingly significant security threat to neighboring countries. Taliban, Al-Qaeda ties: Afghanistan a safe haven for terror While the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Aiman al-Zawahiri in a Kabul house connected to Taliban's acting Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, did lead to a sense of distrust among its members, according to the latest UN report, Afghanistan continues to be a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. Also watch | Afghan women speak to WION from the ground: 'We want our freedoms back' | WION Originals × Al-Qaeda aims to strengthen its position in Afghanistan and has been collaborating with the Taliban, supporting the regime, and safeguarding senior Taliban figures. Al-Qaeda maintains a low profile, utilising the country as an ideological and logistical hub for mobilisation, recruitment, and covertly rebuilding external operational capabilities. Al-Qaeda finances its activities through core funding and donations, including the use of hawala services and cryptocurrencies. ISIL-K 'most serious terrorist threat' ISIL-K has been identified as the most serious current terrorist threat in Afghanistan, neighboring countries, and Central Asia, according to member states. Also read | Exclusive: 'Why is the world neglecting Afghan women?' The group has enhanced its operational capabilities and freedom of movement within Afghanistan, aiming to sustain a high pace of mostly low-impact attacks while sporadically executing high-impact actions to incite sectarian conflicts and destabilise the region in the medium to long term. Over the past year, ISIL-K has claimed responsibility for more than 190 suicide bomb attacks targeting major cities, resulting in the death or injury of approximately 1,300 people. Taliban rule in Afghanistan so far Barely a month after coming to power, the Taliban banned girls from secondary education in September 2021. On December 21, 2022, the Taliban banned women from attending universities. WION first reported in January 2023 when the Taliban-ruled in Balkh province that male doctors can no longer treat female patients. The Taliban stormed to power virtually unchallenged after the withdrawal of US-led forces from the country in the first week of August 2021. The regime has not received international recognition especially due to its imposition of anti-women decrees. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained | Taliban have put Afghan clock back to 1990s’ autocracy: UN report

<p>Days after banning Afghan women from parks and amusement centres, the Taliban announced on Sunday that women are&nbsp;now forbidden from using&nbsp;gyms and public baths.&nbsp;Despite&nbsp;promises from staunch Islamists that they would usher in a lighter version of the harsh rule that characterised their first period in power, which ended in 2001, women are progressively being excluded from public life since the Taliban's return in 2021.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In addition to being prohibited from travelling alone and required to wear a burqa or hijab when outside the home, the majority of female government workers have lost their jobs or are&nbsp;being paid a pittance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since the Taliban's return in August 2021, most of the country's schools for teenage girls have also been closed.</p>

<p>"Gyms are closed for women because their trainers were male and some of them were combined gyms," Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, told AFP.</p>

<p>He said "hammams" -- traditional public bathing houses that have always been segregated by sex -- were now also off limits.</p>

<p>"Currently, every house has a bathroom in it, so it won't be any issue for the women," he said.</p>

<p>The heightened&nbsp;restrictions on women, according to activists, are an effort to prevent them from coming together to organise resistance to the Taliban's government. Small groups of women have frequently launched spontaneous demonstrations in Kabul and other large towns, incurring the anger of Taliban officials who have assaulted and imprisoned them.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Days after banning Afghan women from parks and amusement centres, the Taliban announced on Sunday that women are now forbidden from using gyms and public baths. Despite promises from staunch Islamists that they would usher in a lighter version of the harsh rule that characterised their first period in power, which ended in 2001, women are progressively being excluded from public life since the Taliban's return in 2021.

Days after banning Afghan women from parks and amusement centres, the Taliban announced on Sunday that women are now forbidden from using gyms and public baths. Despite promises from staunch Islamists that they would usher in a lighter version of the harsh rule that characterised their first period in power, which ended in 2001, women are progressively being excluded from public life since the Taliban's return in 2021. In addition to being prohibited from travelling alone and required to wear a burqa or hijab when outside the home, the majority of female government workers have lost their jobs or are being paid a pittance. Since the Taliban's return in August 2021, most of the country's schools for teenage girls have also been closed. "Gyms are closed for women because their trainers were male and some of them were combined gyms," Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, told AFP. He said "hammams" -- traditional public bathing houses that have always been segregated by sex -- were now also off limits. "Currently, every house has a bathroom in it, so it won't be any issue for the women," he said. The heightened restrictions on women, according to activists, are an effort to prevent them from coming together to organise resistance to the Taliban's government. Small groups of women have frequently launched spontaneous demonstrations in Kabul and other large towns, incurring the anger of Taliban officials who have assaulted and imprisoned them. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Taliban prohibit Afghan women from using gyms and public baths, days after banning them from parks

<p>Thousands of Afghan clerics vowed to remain loyal to the Taliban following the conclusion of the three-day meeting with top leaders from the hardline Islamist group in Kabul.</p>

<p>The gathering was called in on Saturday to solidify the Taliban's rule to discuss how they wanted the country to be governed. The officials assured to be more receptive to the people’s concerns, saying that criticism would be tolerated and promised to discuss contentious issues such as secondary school education for girls, reports AFP.</p>

<p>Notably, the meeting saw the rare appearance of the Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada.</p>

<p>The Taliban officials present at the ceremony called for allegiance to Akhundzada, loyalty to the group, and the complete acceptance of sharia law as the basic principle of rule.</p>

<p>"By the grace of God, the Islamic system has come to rule in Afghanistan," the declaration read.</p>

<p>"We not only strongly support it, but will also defend it. We consider this to be the national and religious duty of the entire nation."</p>

<p>According to state-run Bakhtar News Agency, the supreme leader warned the foreigners not to interfere in Afghanistan during his rare speech.</p>

<p>He also praised the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan&nbsp;last August, saying, "The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for Afghans but also for Muslims all over the world."</p>

<p>Akhundzada added that Afghanistan "cannot develop without being independent."</p>

<p>"Thank God, we are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us their orders, it is our system, and we have our own decisions," he said.</p>

<p>Speaking to the clerics, Akhundzada reaffirmed his commitment to the implementation of Sharia law, Islam's legal system derived from the Quran, while voicing his opposition to the "way of life of non-believers."</p>

<p>Akhundzada is based in Kandahar, the Taliban's birthplace and spiritual heartland. He is rarely photographed in public, a fact that has fuelled rumours over the years that he was sick or possibly dead.</p>

<p>No photographs of Akhundzada attending the meeting, which began in Kabul on Thursday, have been released.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Thousands of Afghan clerics vowed to remain loyal to the Taliban following the conclusion of the three-day meeting with top leaders from the hardline Islamist group in Kabul.

Thousands of Afghan clerics vowed to remain loyal to the Taliban following the conclusion of the three-day meeting with top leaders from the hardline Islamist group in Kabul. The gathering was called in on Saturday to solidify the Taliban's rule to discuss how they wanted the country to be governed. The officials assured to be more receptive to the people’s concerns, saying that criticism would be tolerated and promised to discuss contentious issues such as secondary school education for girls, reports AFP. Notably, the meeting saw the rare appearance of the Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The Taliban officials present at the ceremony called for allegiance to Akhundzada, loyalty to the group, and the complete acceptance of sharia law as the basic principle of rule. "By the grace of God, the Islamic system has come to rule in Afghanistan," the declaration read. "We not only strongly support it, but will also defend it. We consider this to be the national and religious duty of the entire nation." According to state-run Bakhtar News Agency, the supreme leader warned the foreigners not to interfere in Afghanistan during his rare speech. He also praised the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan last August, saying, "The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for Afghans but also for Muslims all over the world." Akhundzada added that Afghanistan "cannot develop without being independent." "Thank God, we are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us their orders, it is our system, and we have our own decisions," he said. Speaking to the clerics, Akhundzada reaffirmed his commitment to the implementation of Sharia law, Islam's legal system derived from the Quran, while voicing his opposition to the "way of life of non-believers." Akhundzada is based in Kandahar, the Taliban's birthplace and spiritual heartland. He is rarely photographed in public, a fact that has fuelled rumours over the years that he was sick or possibly dead. No photographs of Akhundzada attending the meeting, which began in Kabul on Thursday, have been released. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Taliban’s reclusive leader Akhundzada warns foreigners not to interfere, calls Sharia law supreme

<p>The Afghans stranded in India held protests, went from office to office and pleaded with relatives around the world to chip in for plane tickets. There was only one flight available to take them back home, to a country that had fallen to the Taliban since they had left it.</p>

<p>None of them had any doubts about what awaited them in Afghanistan: economic hardship, the loss of basic liberties and even the possibility of persecution. But ties to home can’t always be explained away with the cold logic of risk calculation. Home, no matter how much it is burning or broken, evokes compulsions that can pull you in even as thousands are desperately trying to leave.</p>

<p>Among those on the manifest for the flight from Delhi to Kabul earlier this month were cancer patients who had run out of money for treatment and wanted to be on their own soil if death came. They had seen how complicated it was to transport, across the borders of a bitterly divided region, the bodies of those who died in one country but wished to be buried in another.</p>

<p>Among the group were parents separated from young children for nearly two months, grown children separated from dying parents. There were newborn babies, stateless at birth.</p>

<p>“My father is in a wheelchair in Kabul,” said Mohamed Yasin Noori, an employee of the former government, before getting on the flight operated by Iran’s Mahan Air that would transit through Tehran to arrive in Afghanistan. “My worry of being separated from him will end. But then I walk into another worry: What happens next?”</p>

<p>Noori had arrived in India with his sister, a breast-cancer patient, just five days before Kabul fell on Aug. 15 to the Taliban. Despite their rush to complete her tests and physiotherapy and get back home to Noori’s father, they still couldn’t beat the pace of things that were unraveling at home.</p>

<p>“If he had been with us here, I wouldn’t have gone back,” Noori said of his father.</p>

<p>Much of the work to get the stranded Afghans back home is being carried out by the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. The old government’s flag flies over the ghostly compound, and portraits of the former leaders hang on the walls.</p>

<p>Farid Mamundzay, the ambassador who lost his government just six months into the job, said that about 150,000 Afghans are in India in all, including minority Hindus and Sikhs who had relocated following terrorist threats, and about 15,000 university students. About 2,000 of the Afghans have expressed a desperate need to return home, while thousands of others need new passports he cannot provide.</p>

<p>“Being stateless makes you, diplomatically, a valueless mission,” Mamundzay said of his embassy.</p>

<p>The ambassador said his staff members, who had shifted to operating a “humanitarian relief and consular services mission,” had gone unpaid for months, surviving on the remaining cash in the embassy split among them. One of the main factors motivating staff members to stay was the ambassador’s promise to seek places for their families to resettle. But Mamundzay was unsure if he could keep the doors open longer than a few months.</p>

<p>“It would be a great injustice to these people if we shut the mission and abandoned them in foreign lands,” Mamundzay said.</p>

<p>The 106 Afghans who made it on the first flight home were not only the most urgent cases but also the people who could afford an $850 ticket. There have been three flights so far, taking 350 people back.</p>

<p>The embassy’s biggest challenge now is what to do with those who can’t afford plane tickets but keep knocking at the mission’s door.</p>

<p>Most of the stranded Afghans rent small rooms in a refugee area called Lajpat Nagar; many of them ran out of money weeks ago and are unable to pay the meager rent.</p>

<p>“The landlord says he will take away my passport,” said Khan Mohammed, an Afghan police officer, who had arrived in Delhi weeks before the Taliban took over. “I told him that won’t get you any money — you should take my life instead because I am tired of it.”</p>

<p>After a stint as a contractor with the U.S. military and a failed attempt at the migrant trail to Europe, Mohammed joined the police about five years ago for a monthly salary of about $200. Within a year, he found himself in the middle of a Taliban ambush.</p>

<p>The war left him with a missing jaw, and more than $30,000 in medical bills over four years trying to fix it.</p>

<p>“I am completely lost,” said Mohammed, who said twice he had tried to kill himself.</p>

<p>Drawing on her savings as a cook of 20 years for the local U.N. office in northern Afghanistan, Tahera Noori had come to Delhi hoping to treat her own heart problem, a grandchild’s paralyzed legs and a second grandchild’s bleeding ear.</p>

<p>The doctors in Delhi gave her another diagnosis: She had ovarian cancer. Destitute and facing eviction, her daughter gave birth to her third child.</p>

<p>Noori told the embassy officials there was no way she, and hundreds of others like her, could afford the airfare. She begged them to take her and her family back to Afghanistan by road, through India’s high-security border with Pakistan.</p>

<p>“I will go by the Pakistani border even if they shoot me,” Noori pleaded.</p>

<p>Pakistan had initially showed willingness to process transit visas for 25 Afghans each week, but that number has shrunk to just a few in recent weeks, the Afghan ambassador said. An official at Pakistan’s mission in New Delhi said they had given transit visas to about 50 Afghans since the fall of Kabul, and that they were continuing to process other requests on case-by-cases basis.</p>

<p>For some, the transit denied in life came only after death.</p>

<p>When their mother died of a respiratory disease at a hospital in Delhi, Maryam and her brother spent two weeks shuttling between the Pakistani mission to ask for visas, the Indian government to seek clearances and the Afghan Embassy to help push those requests through.</p>

<p>At night, the siblings survived on instant noodles and slept in a cramped room. During the day, they went to the morgue to plead for extensions to keep the body of their mother there.</p>

<p>The family’s trip to India was meant to be a happy moment for the mother and daughter.</p>

<p>Maryam, once a child bride, was drawing on the earnings of her new job as a lawyer — and savings from the sale of pine nuts — to pay for treatment for her mother, whose suffering had begun long before her bouts of tuberculosis and COVID-19. Like her daughter, she had also been a child bride who lost her first husband to the war while pregnant.</p>

<p>Maryam once worked as an office cleaner during the day, raised three children and took evening literacy classes to finish high school. After graduating with a law degree six months ago, she had gotten a job defending victims of abuse in one of the most conservative parts of southeastern Afghanistan.</p>

<p>When Kabul fell, Maryam thought about sending her mother and brother home while she stayed behind to explore asylum options. She had faced threats because of her job even before the Taliban; one colleague was assassinated outside the apartment building where they all lived.</p>

<p>“If I go back, I know I may be going back to my own death,” said Maryam, who is being identified by first name only to protect her identity.</p>

<p>But when her mother died on Sept. 26, Maryam had only one choice: Take her remains home, no matter what.</p>

<p>Late one evening last week, the siblings loaded their mother onto a rented ambulance, washed her body at a funeral home and drove all night to reach India’s border with Pakistan. From there, it took another two days of travel — transferring between three ambulances, more paperwork and the crossing of another border — before she was laid to rest in southeastern Afghanistan.</p>

<p>If there was any solace for Maryam, it was that their ordeal in India was over — that their mother would reach her eternal rest and that Maryam would reunite with her own young children.</p>

<p>“My youngest daughter is sick after me,” Maryam said before they left. “Every day, she counts the planes in the sky.”</p>


The Afghans stranded in India held protests, went from office to office and pleaded with relatives around the world to chip in for plane tickets. There was only one flight available to take them back home, to a country that had fallen to the Taliban since they had left it.

The Afghans stranded in India held protests, went from office to office and pleaded with relatives around the world to chip in for plane tickets. There was only one flight available to take them back home, to a country that had fallen to the Taliban since they had left it. None of them had any doubts about what awaited them in Afghanistan: economic hardship, the loss of basic liberties and even the possibility of persecution. But ties to home can’t always be explained away with the cold logic of risk calculation. Home, no matter how much it is burning or broken, evokes compulsions that can pull you in even as thousands are desperately trying to leave. Among those on the manifest for the flight from Delhi to Kabul earlier this month were cancer patients who had run out of money for treatment and wanted to be on their own soil if death came. They had seen how complicated it was to transport, across the borders of a bitterly divided region, the bodies of those who died in one country but wished to be buried in another. Among the group were parents separated from young children for nearly two months, grown children separated from dying parents. There were newborn babies, stateless at birth. “My father is in a wheelchair in Kabul,” said Mohamed Yasin Noori, an employee of the former government, before getting on the flight operated by Iran’s Mahan Air that would transit through Tehran to arrive in Afghanistan. “My worry of being separated from him will end. But then I walk into another worry: What happens next?” Noori had arrived in India with his sister, a breast-cancer patient, just five days before Kabul fell on Aug. 15 to the Taliban. Despite their rush to complete her tests and physiotherapy and get back home to Noori’s father, they still couldn’t beat the pace of things that were unraveling at home. “If he had been with us here, I wouldn’t have gone back,” Noori said of his father. Much of the work to get the stranded Afghans back home is being carried out by the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. The old government’s flag flies over the ghostly compound, and portraits of the former leaders hang on the walls. Farid Mamundzay, the ambassador who lost his government just six months into the job, said that about 150,000 Afghans are in India in all, including minority Hindus and Sikhs who had relocated following terrorist threats, and about 15,000 university students. About 2,000 of the Afghans have expressed a desperate need to return home, while thousands of others need new passports he cannot provide. “Being stateless makes you, diplomatically, a valueless mission,” Mamundzay said of his embassy. The ambassador said his staff members, who had shifted to operating a “humanitarian relief and consular services mission,” had gone unpaid for months, surviving on the remaining cash in the embassy split among them. One of the main factors motivating staff members to stay was the ambassador’s promise to seek places for their families to resettle. But Mamundzay was unsure if he could keep the doors open longer than a few months. “It would be a great injustice to these people if we shut the mission and abandoned them in foreign lands,” Mamundzay said. The 106 Afghans who made it on the first flight home were not only the most urgent cases but also the people who could afford an $850 ticket. There have been three flights so far, taking 350 people back. The embassy’s biggest challenge now is what to do with those who can’t afford plane tickets but keep knocking at the mission’s door. Most of the stranded Afghans rent small rooms in a refugee area called Lajpat Nagar; many of them ran out of money weeks ago and are unable to pay the meager rent. “The landlord says he will take away my passport,” said Khan Mohammed, an Afghan police officer, who had arrived in Delhi weeks before the Taliban took over. “I told him that won’t get you any money — you should take my life instead because I am tired of it.” After a stint as a contractor with the U.S. military and a failed attempt at the migrant trail to Europe, Mohammed joined the police about five years ago for a monthly salary of about $200. Within a year, he found himself in the middle of a Taliban ambush. The war left him with a missing jaw, and more than $30,000 in medical bills over four years trying to fix it. “I am completely lost,” said Mohammed, who said twice he had tried to kill himself. Drawing on her savings as a cook of 20 years for the local U.N. office in northern Afghanistan, Tahera Noori had come to Delhi hoping to treat her own heart problem, a grandchild’s paralyzed legs and a second grandchild’s bleeding ear. The doctors in Delhi gave her another diagnosis: She had ovarian cancer. Destitute and facing eviction, her daughter gave birth to her third child. Noori told the embassy officials there was no way she, and hundreds of others like her, could afford the airfare. She begged them to take her and her family back to Afghanistan by road, through India’s high-security border with Pakistan. “I will go by the Pakistani border even if they shoot me,” Noori pleaded. Pakistan had initially showed willingness to process transit visas for 25 Afghans each week, but that number has shrunk to just a few in recent weeks, the Afghan ambassador said. An official at Pakistan’s mission in New Delhi said they had given transit visas to about 50 Afghans since the fall of Kabul, and that they were continuing to process other requests on case-by-cases basis. For some, the transit denied in life came only after death. When their mother died of a respiratory disease at a hospital in Delhi, Maryam and her brother spent two weeks shuttling between the Pakistani mission to ask for visas, the Indian government to seek clearances and the Afghan Embassy to help push those requests through. At night, the siblings survived on instant noodles and slept in a cramped room. During the day, they went to the morgue to plead for extensions to keep the body of their mother there. The family’s trip to India was meant to be a happy moment for the mother and daughter. Maryam, once a child bride, was drawing on the earnings of her new job as a lawyer — and savings from the sale of pine nuts — to pay for treatment for her mother, whose suffering had begun long before her bouts of tuberculosis and COVID-19. Like her daughter, she had also been a child bride who lost her first husband to the war while pregnant. Maryam once worked as an office cleaner during the day, raised three children and took evening literacy classes to finish high school. After graduating with a law degree six months ago, she had gotten a job defending victims of abuse in one of the most conservative parts of southeastern Afghanistan. When Kabul fell, Maryam thought about sending her mother and brother home while she stayed behind to explore asylum options. She had faced threats because of her job even before the Taliban; one colleague was assassinated outside the apartment building where they all lived. “If I go back, I know I may be going back to my own death,” said Maryam, who is being identified by first name only to protect her identity. But when her mother died on Sept. 26, Maryam had only one choice: Take her remains home, no matter what. Late one evening last week, the siblings loaded their mother onto a rented ambulance, washed her body at a funeral home and drove all night to reach India’s border with Pakistan. From there, it took another two days of travel — transferring between three ambulances, more paperwork and the crossing of another border — before she was laid to rest in southeastern Afghanistan. If there was any solace for Maryam, it was that their ordeal in India was over — that their mother would reach her eternal rest and that Maryam would reunite with her own young children. “My youngest daughter is sick after me,” Maryam said before they left. “Every day, she counts the planes in the sky.”

‘Completely lost’: For some Afghans, returning home is as difficult as fleeing

<p>“You know, I used to look out of the window and tell my mother that one day someone will send a plane that I can hop on and flee,” says the once rebellious Zahra*** about her survival tactics. She, in her 20s, has worked towards the betterment of Afghan women and children through several NGOs in the past, and had a steady job in finance before the Taliban asked working women to shut shop.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>“But I want to go out, eat out with my friends. I don’t want to wear a&nbsp;<em>burqa</em>!” she screams, almost. In an exclusive interview with WION—this girl, a&nbsp;headstrong persona, hiding somewhere in the deep pockets of the troubled country—she tells us some women are supporting the Taliban and&nbsp;are party to&nbsp;a confused war, why Taliban’s definition of the female population angers her and what she would do if help doesn’t come sooner.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Edited excerpts from this&nbsp;video-recorded conversation:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WION: You have worked with NGOs of international repute, and also served as finance &amp; marketing executive in a private company. Now, you say, you have been forced into being a homebody. How are you coping with this drastic transition?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>ZAHRA:</strong>&nbsp;This horrible, horrifying condition was unexpected. It's like everything went upside down. Jobs are closed for females and coping in such conditions is never easy. And I can say that we, who are currently living in Afghanistan, are the survivors. And everyone knows that it's really hard to cope mentally. It's like we are living&nbsp;in our own homeland as&nbsp;prisoners. After&nbsp;higher&nbsp;studies and all that hard work, we have reached a point where we can&nbsp;contribute towards our country. But the Taliban has pushed us back&nbsp;and changed everything; sitting home and doing household chores. That is always the perspective of a male-dominant, patriarchal society and Afghanistan is one now. And, we, the females, who have always faced challenges, are just homebodies.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-life-under-taliban-living-in-the-land-of-zombies-416292">WION exclusive: Life under Taliban- ‘Living in the land of zombies’</a></p>

<p><strong>WION: You mentioned that the Taliban looks down upon women who work and their choice of language to describe them is objectionable, to put it subtly. What is the word on the street about their opinion of career-oriented ladies?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>ZAHRA:&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;As I mentioned previously, Afghanistan was a male-dominated&nbsp;society. But,&nbsp;we do have male members who support female empowerment&nbsp;and help them chase their dreams in different career paths like photography, theatre, sports, among others. But Taliban’s opinion of women working in different sectors is unacceptable. They themselves had announced that doctors and teachers can go to work. And, despite that, they have banned teachers who used to teach in boys' schools. Taliban (has) point (ed) out that women are s**ts for working&nbsp;in (the) photography field, filmmaking and sports. Of course, they banned sports, too, because women wear clothes, and the body is visible. This is a stupid idea.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>They say that women are doing unethical actions at&nbsp;their workplace. They cannot put&nbsp;labels on&nbsp;women as being sluts. They have no right to say that. And our people, who have enough knowledge&nbsp;and those who have enough understanding of women, always support us: both&nbsp;in&nbsp;and outside of Afghanistan. But people who are in&nbsp;Afghanistan, it's not easy for them to support the idea of women working in any&nbsp;field, because it may end up in&nbsp;death (for them). And even I don't want to lose that kind of men in my society (who support women), because that's (for) our next generation. And I don't want them to lose&nbsp;their lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-exclusive-life-under-taliban-women-run-studio-forced-to-shut-down-in-kabul-417039">WION exclusive- Life under Taliban: Women-run studio forced to shut down in Kabul</a></p>

<p><strong>WION: Despite the mayhem, the Taliban has found sympathizers within the country, and some are women. What’s the logic behind those who support them? How are they looking at this so-called victory, especially the female population?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>ZAHRA: </strong>Women&nbsp;who support the Taliban, they went on the street and claimed victory, saying ‘this is the victory of Islam. This is the victory of Afghanistan’. Because they think or their thinking (is) that Afghanistan was overpowered&nbsp;by foreigners for 20 years (referring to the presence of Americans). And now, all of Afghanistan is banned in a wrong way, in a non-Muslim way, which is not right. And these women&nbsp;think&nbsp;they're (helping) the Taliban claim victory for them and help them live in a Muslim society. These are women who were not comfortable wearing colourful dresses and would wear black <em>burqas</em> instead. And, we (the liberal women of Afghanistan) didn't say, ‘Come on, wear colourful dresses because this is Afghanistan. Foreigners are ruling this country.’ That has never happened and now they are telling the media that Taliban's takeover&nbsp;is the victory of Islam. Okay, no one is against Islam in Afghanistan, we are all Muslims.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
And we all know that in Islam we don't wear tight clothes as they attract (male gaze). These women are thinking that the Taliban has 'allowed' them to wear black <em>burqa</em> from head-to-toe. I'm not comfortable wearing black <em>burqa</em>. I'm comfortable in wearing my own type of dress, my own choice of colour, not black. And these women, I don't know what to say to them--I don't have the right to insult them--because they're not aware of their own rights, and they're just throwing women’s freedom away over some&nbsp;colours. What kind of freedom is this? And they are so&nbsp;limited: even in their ideas. I can say that they are insane. They only know how to read the Quran or go to Madrasa. But Islam is beyond that. Once they get to know about their rights, I'm sure they will go against the idea of Taliban (rule).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WION: You have tried fleeing the country but couldn’t. Also, you think media professionals (female) find it easier to leave Afghanistan as opposed to those who come from other backgrounds. Why so?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>ZAHRA:&nbsp;</strong>We all know that working as a TV reporter means you need to showcase what the truth is, without any fear or hesitation. And, for the past 20 years, our female reporters have done that. They try to show what the truth is on TV and have always been trying to bring about&nbsp;change. And their identity is so visible to everyone: their names, their last names and even their faces. And they're known by everyone in the country. So, in this regime of Taliban, it's not easy for them to hide under such&nbsp;conditions as anything could happen at any moment. So, that's why, they&nbsp;can flee to other countries sooner and be evacuated after say two days of petition. But, for other people like us, who come from different professional backgrounds, we are not allowed. It's not easy for us to be evacuated soon. This condition is horrible.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-wion-exclusive--afghan-actor-warina-hussain-i-dont-blame-women-who-have-taken-up-arms-in-afghanistan-409865">WION exclusive | Afghan actor Warina Hussain: I don't blame women who have taken up arms in Afghanistan</a></p>

<p><strong>WION:&nbsp;&nbsp;If help doesn’t come sooner—or at all—what’s your plan of action?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><br />
<strong>ZAHRA:</strong>&nbsp;I don't know what will happen (to my life). It's so uncertain. I don't know. I cannot go to work and have to stay only at home. It's not&nbsp;easy for me. But then I cannot go anywhere with my friends. I cannot go for walks. I cannot go to restaurants with my friends, male and female. Something&nbsp;I used to do just two months ago.&nbsp;And I don't know how to explain it. It's beyond horrible. And every&nbsp;woman in this country is uncertain as to what will happen next, and when. The government is focusing on Islam. Not in (its) politics and politicians. Even when a&nbsp;reporter asks&nbsp;them a question (about women),they change&nbsp;the topic to Islam. They're not answering it politically, which the people are dying (to know about) each day. Our economy is zero now. People are dying because&nbsp;of lack of food. There's so much uncertainty. I don't know. I really don't know what I will do if help doesn't come sooner.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><em>***The name of the interviewee has been changed and other information withheld for security reasons.&nbsp;</em></strong><br />
&nbsp;</p>


“You know, I used to look out of the window and tell my mother that one day someone will send a plane that I can hop on and flee,” says the once rebellious Zahra*** about her survival tactics.

“You know, I used to look out of the window and tell my mother that one day someone will send a plane that I can hop on and flee,” says the once rebellious Zahra*** about her survival tactics. She, in her 20s, has worked towards the betterment of Afghan women and children through several NGOs in the past, and had a steady job in finance before the Taliban asked working women to shut shop. “But I want to go out, eat out with my friends. I don’t want to wear a burqa!” she screams, almost. In an exclusive interview with WION—this girl, a headstrong persona, hiding somewhere in the deep pockets of the troubled country—she tells us some women are supporting the Taliban and are party to a confused war, why Taliban’s definition of the female population angers her and what she would do if help doesn’t come sooner. Edited excerpts from this video-recorded conversation: WION: You have worked with NGOs of international repute, and also served as finance & marketing executive in a private company. Now, you say, you have been forced into being a homebody. How are you coping with this drastic transition? ZAHRA: This horrible, horrifying condition was unexpected. It's like everything went upside down. Jobs are closed for females and coping in such conditions is never easy. And I can say that we, who are currently living in Afghanistan, are the survivors. And everyone knows that it's really hard to cope mentally. It's like we are living in our own homeland as prisoners. After higher studies and all that hard work, we have reached a point where we can contribute towards our country. But the Taliban has pushed us back and changed everything; sitting home and doing household chores. That is always the perspective of a male-dominant, patriarchal society and Afghanistan is one now. And, we, the females, who have always faced challenges, are just homebodies. Also read | WION exclusive: Life under Taliban- ‘Living in the land of zombies’ WION: You mentioned that the Taliban looks down upon women who work and their choice of language to describe them is objectionable, to put it subtly. What is the word on the street about their opinion of career-oriented ladies? ZAHRA: As I mentioned previously, Afghanistan was a male-dominated society. But, we do have male members who support female empowerment and help them chase their dreams in different career paths like photography, theatre, sports, among others. But Taliban’s opinion of women working in different sectors is unacceptable. They themselves had announced that doctors and teachers can go to work. And, despite that, they have banned teachers who used to teach in boys' schools. Taliban (has) point (ed) out that women are s**ts for working in (the) photography field, filmmaking and sports. Of course, they banned sports, too, because women wear clothes, and the body is visible. This is a stupid idea. They say that women are doing unethical actions at their workplace. They cannot put labels on women as being sluts. They have no right to say that. And our people, who have enough knowledge and those who have enough understanding of women, always support us: both in and outside of Afghanistan. But people who are in Afghanistan, it's not easy for them to support the idea of women working in any field, because it may end up in death (for them). And even I don't want to lose that kind of men in my society (who support women), because that's (for) our next generation. And I don't want them to lose their lives. Also read | WION exclusive- Life under Taliban: Women-run studio forced to shut down in Kabul WION: Despite the mayhem, the Taliban has found sympathizers within the country, and some are women. What’s the logic behind those who support them? How are they looking at this so-called victory, especially the female population? ZAHRA: Women who support the Taliban, they went on the street and claimed victory, saying ‘this is the victory of Islam. This is the victory of Afghanistan’. Because they think or their thinking (is) that Afghanistan was overpowered by foreigners for 20 years (referring to the presence of Americans). And now, all of Afghanistan is banned in a wrong way, in a non-Muslim way, which is not right. And these women think they're (helping) the Taliban claim victory for them and help them live in a Muslim society. These are women who were not comfortable wearing colourful dresses and would wear black burqas instead. And, we (the liberal women of Afghanistan) didn't say, ‘Come on, wear colourful dresses because this is Afghanistan. Foreigners are ruling this country.’ That has never happened and now they are telling the media that Taliban's takeover is the victory of Islam. Okay, no one is against Islam in Afghanistan, we are all Muslims. And we all know that in Islam we don't wear tight clothes as they attract (male gaze). These women are thinking that the Taliban has 'allowed' them to wear black burqa from head-to-toe. I'm not comfortable wearing black burqa. I'm comfortable in wearing my own type of dress, my own choice of colour, not black. And these women, I don't know what to say to them--I don't have the right to insult them--because they're not aware of their own rights, and they're just throwing women’s freedom away over some colours. What kind of freedom is this? And they are so limited: even in their ideas. I can say that they are insane. They only know how to read the Quran or go to Madrasa. But Islam is beyond that. Once they get to know about their rights, I'm sure they will go against the idea of Taliban (rule). WION: You have tried fleeing the country but couldn’t. Also, you think media professionals (female) find it easier to leave Afghanistan as opposed to those who come from other backgrounds. Why so? ZAHRA: We all know that working as a TV reporter means you need to showcase what the truth is, without any fear or hesitation. And, for the past 20 years, our female reporters have done that. They try to show what the truth is on TV and have always been trying to bring about change. And their identity is so visible to everyone: their names, their last names and even their faces. And they're known by everyone in the country. So, in this regime of Taliban, it's not easy for them to hide under such conditions as anything could happen at any moment. So, that's why, they can flee to other countries sooner and be evacuated after say two days of petition. But, for other people like us, who come from different professional backgrounds, we are not allowed. It's not easy for us to be evacuated soon. This condition is horrible. Also read | WION exclusive | Afghan actor Warina Hussain: I don't blame women who have taken up arms in Afghanistan WION: If help doesn’t come sooner—or at all—what’s your plan of action? ZAHRA: I don't know what will happen (to my life). It's so uncertain. I don't know. I cannot go to work and have to stay only at home. It's not easy for me. But then I cannot go anywhere with my friends. I cannot go for walks. I cannot go to restaurants with my friends, male and female. Something I used to do just two months ago. And I don't know how to explain it. It's beyond horrible. And every woman in this country is uncertain as to what will happen next, and when. The government is focusing on Islam. Not in (its) politics and politicians. Even when a reporter asks them a question (about women),they change the topic to Islam. They're not answering it politically, which the people are dying (to know about) each day. Our economy is zero now. People are dying because of lack of food. There's so much uncertainty. I don't know. I really don't know what I will do if help doesn't come sooner. ***The name of the interviewee has been changed and other information withheld for security reasons.

WION exclusive: Life Under Taliban- 'They call women s**ts'

<p>A&nbsp;barber&nbsp;working in the Afghan capital of&nbsp;Kabul&nbsp;said on Wednesday, that he was scared of what Taliban rule could mean for his trade in the future.</p>

<p>"There is no work, and in the previous system of the Islamic Emirate, our work was against the law, and they said that men's make-up and tattoos are not allowed, so the clientele is very low, everyone is scared and I work in fear, and their (Taliban) law has not been implemented yet, whether we will be allowed to work or not." said Mohammad Amin Noori.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/commander-of-afghan-army-speaks-out-we-were-betrayed-by-politics-and-presidents-408279" hreflang="en">Commander of Afghan army speaks out: We were betrayed by politics and presidents</a></strong></p>

<p>Other residents said they hoped for more jobs and opportunities under the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/taliban">Taliban</a>.</p>

<p>It comes as western countries rushed to complete the evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan as the Aug. 31 deadline for the withdrawal of foreign troops drew closer with no sign that the Taliban rulers might allow an extension.</p>

<p>The Taliban said all foreign evacuations must be completed by Aug. 31 and asked the United States to stop urging talented Afghans to leave, while also trying to persuade people at the airport to go home, assuring them that they had nothing to fear.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fleeing-an-uncertain-future-afghan-all-girl-robotics-team-members-land-in-mexico-408255" hreflang="en">Fleeing an uncertain future, Afghan all-girl robotics team members land in Mexico</a></strong></p>

<p>While the focus is now on those people trying to flee, the risk of starvation, disease and persecution is rising for the rest of the population after the chaotic exodus from&nbsp;Kabul&nbsp;airport ends, aid agencies say.</p>


A barber working in the Afghan capital of Kabul said on Wednesday, that he was scared of what Taliban rule could mean for his trade in the future. "There is no work, and in the previous system of the Islamic Emirate, our work was against the law, and they said that men's make-up and tattoos are not allowed, so the clientele is very low, everyone is scared and I work in fear, and their (Taliban) law has not been implemented yet, whether we will be allowed to work or not.

A barber working in the Afghan capital of Kabul said on Wednesday, that he was scared of what Taliban rule could mean for his trade in the future. "There is no work, and in the previous system of the Islamic Emirate, our work was against the law, and they said that men's make-up and tattoos are not allowed, so the clientele is very low, everyone is scared and I work in fear, and their (Taliban) law has not been implemented yet, whether we will be allowed to work or not." said Mohammad Amin Noori. Also read | Commander of Afghan army speaks out: We were betrayed by politics and presidents Other residents said they hoped for more jobs and opportunities under the Taliban. It comes as western countries rushed to complete the evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan as the Aug. 31 deadline for the withdrawal of foreign troops drew closer with no sign that the Taliban rulers might allow an extension. The Taliban said all foreign evacuations must be completed by Aug. 31 and asked the United States to stop urging talented Afghans to leave, while also trying to persuade people at the airport to go home, assuring them that they had nothing to fear. Also read | Fleeing an uncertain future, Afghan all-girl robotics team members land in Mexico While the focus is now on those people trying to flee, the risk of starvation, disease and persecution is rising for the rest of the population after the chaotic exodus from Kabul airport ends, aid agencies say.

Kabul barber fears uncertain future under Taliban rule while residents hope for jobs

<p>Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed who fled from her home country amid the rise of power of Taliban, opened up about her harrowing escape and the current scenario of Afghanistan.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/afghan-pop-star-aryana-flees-from-country-amid-fear-of-life-under-taliban-rule-406914">Aryana Sayeed</a> and her fiance, Hasib, got out of Afghanistan as soon as the Taliban took over control of the landlocked nation. She recently spoke about her experience. She said, "I was feeling that I'm going to die here, literally. I was hopeless. This is like a miracle that we're getting out."</p>

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<p>Giving a detailed description of the chaos at Kabul airport from where she flew out, Aryana said that the scene was horrific with women fainting and babies crying. The crowds that had gathered there were desperate with people shoving one another to get on a plane out of the country. ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-afghan-pop-star-aryana-sayeed-india-our-only-friend-pakistan-instructed-taliban-408024">Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed: India our only friend, Pakistan instructed Taliban</a></p>

<p>​​"They are hopeless, absolutely hopeless," she said. "They are left with no food and no shelter and they are living in fear right now. And my heart just bleeds for them."</p>

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<p>The Afghan pop star&nbsp;remembered how a woman even attempted to give her baby to the pop star to take along with her to Turkey. She said, "I cannot separate a baby from the mother, and the mother actually wanted me to take the baby but then I couldn't. The soldiers asked me if this was my baby and I said, 'Look it's not mine but could you please let her in because the baby is gonna die,' and they said, 'I'm sorry madam. We cannot do that...'"</p>

<p>Aryana Sayeed and fiance are now in Los Angeles and she said she's worried about the millions who were left behind.&nbsp;The pop star has pleaded with the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prince-harry-meghan-markle-donate-to-afghan-organisation-amid-country-crisis-407818">&nbsp;international community</a>&nbsp;to conduct talks and find a solution to bring peace to Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>


Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed who fled from her home country amid the rise of power of Taliban, opened up about her harrowing escape and the current scenario of Afghanistan.

Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed who fled from her home country amid the rise of power of Taliban, opened up about her harrowing escape and the current scenario of Afghanistan. Aryana Sayeed and her fiance, Hasib, got out of Afghanistan as soon as the Taliban took over control of the landlocked nation. She recently spoke about her experience. She said, "I was feeling that I'm going to die here, literally. I was hopeless. This is like a miracle that we're getting out." View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝝠𝗥𝗬𝝠𝗡𝝠 𝗦𝝠𝗬𝗘𝗘𝗗 👑 آریانا سعید (@aryanasayeedofficial) × Giving a detailed description of the chaos at Kabul airport from where she flew out, Aryana said that the scene was horrific with women fainting and babies crying. The crowds that had gathered there were desperate with people shoving one another to get on a plane out of the country. ALSO READ: Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed: India our only friend, Pakistan instructed Taliban "They are hopeless, absolutely hopeless," she said. "They are left with no food and no shelter and they are living in fear right now. And my heart just bleeds for them." View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝝠𝗥𝗬𝝠𝗡𝝠 𝗦𝝠𝗬𝗘𝗘𝗗 👑 آریانا سعید (@aryanasayeedofficial) × The Afghan pop star remembered how a woman even attempted to give her baby to the pop star to take along with her to Turkey. She said, "I cannot separate a baby from the mother, and the mother actually wanted me to take the baby but then I couldn't. The soldiers asked me if this was my baby and I said, 'Look it's not mine but could you please let her in because the baby is gonna die,' and they said, 'I'm sorry madam. We cannot do that...'" Aryana Sayeed and fiance are now in Los Angeles and she said she's worried about the millions who were left behind. The pop star has pleaded with the international community to conduct talks and find a solution to bring peace to Afghanistan.

I felt I would die: Pop star Aryana Sayeed who fled Afghanistan recounts her escape from Taliban