Afghan activist urges international community to support as Taliban gains ground

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Nisar Ahmad Sherzai said, “From the last 20 years, the U.S. and the NATO forces were supporting the Afghan security forces but ever since the United States decided to withdraw troops and left us with no support, Pakistan started taking advantage of the situation and backing Taliban. The Taliban insurgent groups have become more powerful and aggressive now. Our people are under constant threat of the Taliban."

New Delhi:An Afghan political-civil activist in India, Nisar Ahmad Sherzai, has urged the international community to save and support Afghanistan as the Taliban is slowly gaining control over most parts and has taken over many cities including Kandhar and Herat.

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Sherzai, said, “For the last 20 years, the U.S. and the NATO forces were supporting the Afghan security forces but ever since the United States decided to withdraw troops and left us with no support, Pakistan started taking advantage of the situation and backed Taliban. The Taliban insurgent groups have become more powerful and aggressive now. Our people are under constant threat of the Taliban."

He said, “The fundamentalist group ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 and ever since then the people of Afghanistan are facing atrocities in different forms. They couldn’t even go out of their homes, they were unemployed and normal lives have been paralyzed. The Taliban is stronger now than at any point since 2001. This time, the Taliban has gained ground very fast in Afghanistan. The situation is worse than ever before.”

READ:Pakistan infusing fresh recruits into Taliban from JeM & LeT: Afghan official

“At least, earlier due to the threat posed by the Taliban, people of Afghanistan used to flee to Pakistan, Iran or India, Khalistan but now all the doors are closed for them. The terror group is now forcing women to get married to its terrorists and nowhere in the world in the name of religion could one imagine such heinous act of crime being carried out against the civilians in our country. Why such violence against the Afghanis?

He said that even though for the last 20 years, America was well aware that the Taliban is backed by Pakistan and managed to gain power. “Why America has given an advantage to Pakistan that the Taliban got the opportunity to gain power in Afghanistan much faster? Unfortunately, this question has no answer. We are relying on the UN and the international community for saving Afghanistan”, he added.

He said that if the Taliban capture Kabul then it is not only a threat to Afghanistan but the whole world. “The whole world is aware that Taliban is backed by ISI and if Taliban comes to power, it will be a complete mess not only for us but for the world too. Therefore, I appeal to the international community to support Afghanistan and its people. It is high time for the world to help us get back our rights”, Nisar added.

READ:Taliban insurgents rack up victories, approach Kabul's outskirts

Nisar said that 25,000 to 30,000 Afghan refugees who fled the country during earlier Taliban regime out of fear are living in India now.

According to him, the immigrants are not getting any help from the UNHCR and especially when the Taliban is gaining momentum, they are rendered homeless and jobless. With the lockdown in place, they are left unemployed too, adding that the worst part is they cannot even return to Afghanistan as the Taliban will not spare them.

Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said that remobilization of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces is his top priority and that required measures are underway to reach this end, but he vowed to prevent further bloodshed in the country.

His remarks come amidst the Taliban advances in the war-ravaged country as well as amidst uncertainty in the country’s situation and growing concerns among the people about their future.