Najiya Saleemi is relieved over reports that international flights to Pakistan have resumed as she packs her belongings to say adieu to Afghanistan, the land of beautiful orchards and rough mountain landscape that is suffering from severe economic hardships.
- We have done the packing, and just waiting for some official procedure to take an onward trip to the US from Pakistan - Saleemi, 63, told Anadolu Agency while arranging food, with the great hospitality they offer to guests, regardless of their economic circumstances.
Saleemi said that her son had worked for the Ghani government and now feels frightened, avoiding expressing the invisible fear. She used a pseudonym to prevent backlash and claimed that her son had worked for the Ghani government and now felt insecure. Her one married son is already in the US, while her other married son is in Canada, and she plans to travel with her husband and third son and his family this time.
Tears streamed down her cheeks when she spoke about her married daughter, who will remain in Kabul with her husband and four children. Saleemi said: “This is how this nation's people have been enduring the situation for a long time... divided families.”
The national flag carrier of Pakistan landed at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Monday, resuming international flights to the country that has been plagued by war and violence for the past couple of decades.
According to a UN refugees organization, there are 2.6 million Afghan refugees worldwide, with 2.2 million of them registered in Iran and Pakistan alone.
Another 3.5 million people are internally displaced persons, who have fled their homes for safety within the country, the UN Human Rights Commissioner for Refugees reported.
In light of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in 2021, the number of people fleeing will likely continue to rise, it said on its website.
Saleemi's son, who was sitting next to her, stated that the issue is not only the fear but also the future of my children's right to receive education in a fear-free environment.
His children, he stated, have developed certain psychological issues and are currently refusing to attend school.