New Delhi [India], August 24 (ANI): Afghanistan‘s well-known pop artist Aryana Sayeed described her escape from Kabul as “very difficult and very challenging” after the Taliban takeover of the war-torn country.
Talking about her escape in an exclusive interview with ANI from an undisclosed location, she said, “I was in Afghanistan for past eight months and all of a sudden there is a change, Taliban came to Kabul and they took over. I was left with no choice but to leave Afghanistan. We left in a very difficult manner, it was very challenging for me. Besides the fact that I am a singer, I am also a very outspoken women rights activist. By the time we decided to leave Afghanistan, the Taliban had put up checkpoints across the country. We were very scared.”
Further, she added that the real challenge was travelling from home to Kabul airport amid various Taliban checkpoints in the capital city after they took over last Sunday.
“Major challenge was the journey from home to airport, that’s where the problem was, fortunately, we made it to the airport. My fiance and I and 100 other American passport holders were the lucky ones,” she said.
Narrating the ordeal, she said that there was total chaos on August 15, the day she was to leave the country. “It was absolute chaos as you can see on video. That’s what I experienced, my flight was on the 15th of August, I was booked on a commercial flight but unfortunately, on that day the Taliban took over Kabul. My flight was at 8 pm. We made our way to the airport,” she said.

Describing the scene at the Kabul airport, Sayeed said that it was filled with thousands and thousands of people and small children piled over each other.
She further stated that by the time she reached the airport, the Taliban were still not there, but unfortunately at 5 pm they heard gunshots while she was inside the airport.
“We heard gunshots and suddenly airport staff including the security and pilots ran away. The plane could not take off. We were getting news Taliban was closing in and they can get inside airport anytime,” she added.
Talking about her future, she said, “I would continue with my career, I had a career outside Afghanistan as well. I will dedicate my music and money generated from it to Afghanistan and its people, that’s my entire focus,” Sayeed added.
Sayeed further reiterated that she will try her best to become the voice of the voiceless Afghans.
“I am not inside Afghanistan, I am outside but I will try my best to be the voice of the voiceless, I will try to spread the word out there and see what we can do to get help to focus on Afghanistan and its people,” said Sayeed.

Women have no future under Taliban regime, says Aryana Sayeed

Afghanistan‘s famous pop singer Aryana Sayeed on Tuesday said that there is “no future of women under Taliban” after the terrorist outfit took control of the country last week.
In an exclusive interview with ANI from an undisclosed location, she said that the Afghan women will suffer the most under the Taliban regime.
“I am worried for women who will be stuck inside houses and they will not be given their basic rights. While out, they will need to have a male relative accompanying them. They also will not be allowed to go to school. If Afghanistan is left in hands of the Taliban, there’s no future for Afghan women,” Sayeed said.
Moreover, going by history, during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, brutal floggings, amputations, and public executions were commonplace.
Women were largely confined to their homes and the death penalty was in place for offences including female adultery, homosexuality, and the rejection of Islam.

Talking about her escape, Aryana Sayeed said, “I feel great that I am out of the country right now but my heart goes out to millions of people left behind in Afghanistan, especially women. What they went through 20 years ago was unbelievable and now we are back to the same point where we were.”
Earlier, the Taliban at their first press conference, after taking control of Afghanistan, had assured that the rights of women will be “respected within the framework of Islamic law”.
Aryana said that the Taliban’s promise was just to get international recognition. “Taliban is saying it will give rights to women only to get recognition. Once it is recognised it will be back to its original identity,” added Sayeed.
Meanwhile, women in Afghanistan protested against the terrorist group expressing concerns over how they would be represented in any future government in the war-torn country.
A number of women who have been working in government and non-government agencies demonstrated and demanded that their rights should be protected in any future government, according to TOLO News.

Aryana Sayeed blames Pak for empowering Taliban, terms India ‘true friend’

Afghanistan’s famous pop star, Aryana Sayeed, who escaped from the Taliban after the takeover of Kabul, has blamed Pakistan for empowering the terrorist outfit and expressed her utmost gratitude to India for helping Afghans during the ongoing crisis.
“I do blame Pakistan. Over the years, we have seen videos, seen evidence that Pakistan is behind empowering the Taliban. Every time our government touches the Taliban they see identification and it would see a Pakistani person, so it’s very obvious that I blame them and hope that they back off and don’t interfere in politics in Afghanistan anymore,” said Afghanistan’s pop star Aryana Sayeed in an exclusive interview with ANI from an undisclosed location.
She also claimed that the Taliban terrorists are being instructed and trained by Pakistan.
“They are being instructed by Pakistan, their bases are in Pakistan where they get their training. I hope the international community, first of all, cut off their funds and don’t offer funds to Pakistan for funding the Taliban,” said Sayeed.
Moreover, she urged the international community to sit down and find a solution to bring peace to Afghanistan. “I hope they can put pressure on Pakistan. I believe that we’re dealing with all these issues in Afghanistan because of Pakistan,” she added.
Meanwhile, she lauded the Indian government’s efforts in Afghanistan and termed India as “true friend”.
“India has always been good to us. They have been a true friend, they’ve been very helpful and kind to our people, even refugees. Afghans who have been in India before have always spoken highly of the nation, its people. We are grateful to India,” she added.
“On behalf of Afghanistan, I want to express my utmost gratitude to India and I want to say thank you. Over the years we’ve realised that the only good friend in the neighborhood we have is, India,” she said.
Aryana Sayeed in 2015, sang at a stadium, breaking three taboos: Singing as a woman; Not wearing hijab; and entering a stadium as a woman, which was forbidden under the Taliban. (ANI)