Afghan refugees in Delhi worried about family, friends as Taliban captures parts of Afghanistan

By Joymala Bagchi

New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): With the Taliban gaining ground in Afghanistan and advancing towards Kabul, the Afghan nationals who flew to India over the years are “extremely worried” following unprovoked attacks on civilians and executions of captured soldiers.

The Afghan nationals residing in various pockets of Delhi such as Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, Bhogal with the status of ‘refugee’ expressed their concern for fellow Afghan nationals who are still living in Afghanistan.

While speaking to ANI, Afghan nationals recalled their memories wherein many could not talk to their parents, family members due poor network connectivity, especially in the interiors in Afghanistan, where there is extremely poor supply of electricity and inflation.

Jawed Gharib Nawaz, a musician by profession who resides in South Delhi’s Bhogal said, “I am staying here for the last five years. The situation is really bad there (in Afghanistan). The people staying there are far from the normal situation. People are trying to come out and move to either Iran, Tajikistan or India just to save themselves.”

Another residence Mohammad Qais, a grocery shop owner sharing the same refugee status said that he has grown up seeing war and has hardly seen peace in 33 years.

Qais says, “I came to India in 2019. The situation is such that 85 percent of Afghanistan is under Taliban now. They are saying that they will capture Kabul too within one month.”

Qais’s uncle who is still in Afghanistan finds it hard to even earn his livelihood. He says that even electricity comes only for two hours in a day.

In an attempt to capture the crucial cities by force that would prove beneficial to them the Taliban is extensively fighting against the Afghan government forces.

Haseeb Ullah Sediqi came to India four years ago. It’s been three-four months since he spoke with his parents, sister back in Afghanistan.

“My family lives in the interiors of Afghanistan and there, the network connectivity has been cut off completely. I call others who are in Afghanistan to know about them but even they fail to reach them. I am searching every means to hear their voice just once,” says Sediqi sobbing.

Since the pandemic struck globally, getting a tourist visa has become a problem. However, a medical visa is available for treatment purpose.

This attempt of power grabbing commenced immediately after the US forces started fleeing Afghanistan under a peace deal that was signed between the Taliban and Washington.

Taliban who refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamist movement and military organisation in Afghanistan, currently waging war within the country.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday told the media persons, “It is a matter of great concern. It is a rapidly evolving situation. We continue to hope that there will be an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. We are supporting all peace initiatives of Afghanistan. The primary concern is peace and stability in that country.”

“Out of 34 provinces, only two are left that are yet to be captured by the Taliban. We pray that they stay alive and safe as nobody knows what will happen in the next moment,” said Afghan nationals in Delhi for their friends and relatives in Afghanistan. (ANI)