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A30 world news
Diabierna 26 augustus 2022

One year on, Afghans at risk await evacuation, relocation

have. To make matters worse, freely under a Taliban-led conducts research on migra-
his passport is no longer val- government. tion and displacement. Ma-
id. jidi was speaking at a seminar
The U.S., together with oth- organized by the Migration
Like millions of Afghans, he’s er Western nations, hastily Policy Institute looking at the
also been impacted by the evacuated more than 120,000 situation of Afghans in Af-
country’s economic freefall, people, both foreign nation- ghanistan and abroad a year
caused in part by internation- als and Afghan citizens, in after the withdrawal.
al sanctions and vanishing August last year.
foreign aid. Around 2,000 Afghans and
Some 46,000 Afghans who their families who worked
“We eat once a day,” the inter- remained in the country af- with NATO, its agencies,
preter said. Still, he continues ter Aug. 31 have since applied and member countries were
hoping he and his family will for U.S. humanitarian parole, among those evacuated from
leave Afghanistan at some according to the Migration Kabul according to the mili-
point. Policy Institute. But only 297 tary alliance. But the evacu-
(AP) — More than a year home. They (then) destroy have been approved so far. ations were organized by in-
after the Taliban take- my office,” he told AP via “I never give up because of dividual member countries.
over that saw thousands WhatsApp referring to the my future and my children Because there is no longer a NATO, as an organization,
of Afghans rushing to place where he taught Eng- future,” he said. U.S. consulate in Afghani- had no repatriation plan.
Kabul’s international air- lish. He asked that his name stan, asylum-seekers must
port amid the chaotic U.S. not be revealed for security Since their return to rule, the make their way to other Evacuations from third
withdrawal, Afghans at reasons. Taliban have been trying to countries with consular ser- countries are still happening,
risk who failed to get on transition from insurgency vices for in-person inter- although sporadically. Earlier
evacuation flights say they This month, he was interro- and war to governing, with views. this month a plane carrying
are still struggling to find gated by the Taliban again for the hard-liners increasingly nearly 300 Afghans who had
safe and legal ways out of more than two hours. at odds with the pragmatists The list of obstacles to get- collaborated with the Spanish
the country. on how to run a country in ting out of Afghanistan is ex- government landed in Ma-
During the chaotic days of the midst of a humanitarian tensive, starting with the dif- drid. Germany and France
Among those left behind is a the U.S. pullout, he had tried and economic crisis. But a ficulty in obtaining passports also have continued to work
49-year-old interpreter who several times to reach Ka- year on they have so far failed as offices repeatedly close due on evacuation cases, Majidi
worked for a NATO contrac- bul Airport but, like many, to gain international recogni- to technical problems. said.
tor in 2010 accompanying failed to get through massive tion. Initial promises to allow
convoys in Kandahar. Only crowds made even more dan- girls to return to school and “Today, the vast majority of But thousands of Afghans are
six days after the Taliban gerous by attacks around the women to continue working Afghans don’t have access to still living in limbo in third
reached the capital last Au- airport that killed dozens. He have been broken. legal identity, meaning if they countries including Qatar,
gust, they came looking for then tried to leave Afghani- need tomorrow to be able the United Arab Emirates,
him. stan by crossing the land Those who have failed to to get to safety legally, they Kosovo and Albania while
border with Pakistan but was evacuate include interpreters can’t,” said Nassim Majidi, they wait for their applica-
“They come to my house and stopped by the Taliban who and drivers but also women co-founder and executive tions to be processed for
they threatened my son and demanded $700 per person journalists, activists and ath- director of Samuel Hall, an resettlement to the United
my wife (when) I was not at to cross — money he did not letes who say they cannot live independent think tank that States and Canada.

Pakistani court bars police from arresting ex-premier Khan

(AP) — A Pakistani court mass rallies, seeking to return it, we will also take action Khan came to power prom-
on Thursday barred po- Hundreds of Khan’s support- to power. against you.” ising to break the pattern of
lice from arresting for- ers gathered outside the court family rule in Pakistan. His
mer premier Imran Khan building, chanting slogans Khan is also to appear before Since his ouster, Khan has al- opponents contend he was
through the end of the against Sharif’s government. the Islamabad High Court leged — without providing elected with help from the
month, officials said. Demonstrators said Khan on Aug. 31 to face contempt evidence — that Pakistan’s powerful military, which has
is being politically victim- proceedings on charges of powerful military took part ruled the country for half of
Imran Khan is accused of ized by Sharif’s government. threatening a judge. His in a U.S. plot to oust him. its 75-year history. Since his
making verbal threats to po- Later, Khan left the court for conviction, in this case, will Washington, the Pakistani ouster, Khan has also de-
lice officers and a judge in his home on the outskirts of mean his disqualification military and the government manded early elections and
his speech at a rally over the Islamabad. from politics for life under of Khan’s successor, Shahbaz vowed to oust Sharif’s gov-
weekend. The latest devel- Pakistani law. No convicted Sharif, have all denied the al- ernment through “pressure
opment comes days after the Sharif replaced Khan in April person can run for office. legation. from the people.”
government of Prime Min- when he was ousted in a
ister Shahbaz Sharif leveled no-confidence vote in Par- It is the second time that
terrorism charges against liament. Legal experts say Khan — a former cricket star
Khan, escalating political ten- Khan could face from sev- turned Islamist politician —
sions and drawing nation- eral months to 14 years in faces contempt charges. Af-
wide condemnation from his prison, the equivalent of a ter elections in 1993, he was
Tehreek-e-Insaf party. life sentence if he is found summoned but pardoned by
guilty by the court during the the Supreme Court after de-
Earlier, Khan’s lawyer Babar trial which has not started yet scribing the conduct of the
Awan requested the court to against him on the terrorism judiciary as “shameful” and
grant bail to Khan, who is the charges. saying it did not ensure free
country’s popular opposi- and fair elections.
tion leader. Arriving at court, Thursday’s appearance of
Khan was asked to walk to- Khan before an anti-terror- Legal experts say Khan has
ward the courtroom as ordi- ism tribunal amid tight se- limited options and could
nary suspects do. The court curity was the latest devel- avoid a conviction if he apol-
agreed to extend Khan’s pro- opment in the saga between ogizes for his remarks against
tection from arrest until Sept. Pakistan’s government and Judge Zeba Chaudhry, when
1. Khan, who has been holding he told her to “get ready for