'Every child knows this': Former Afghan mayor on Pakistan's role in ongoing crisis

Zarifa Ghafari, who was one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors, now wants to draw attention to the plight of Afghans by meeting high ranking officials, politicians and women of different countries.

A former Afghan mayor on Tuesday said the Taliban have a list of people who took a liberal approach during the earlier internationally recognised regimes, reported news agency ANI. Zarifa Ghafari, who was one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors, recalled the Taliban searching for her at her residence in Afghanistan and beating the security guards deployed there.

Women's rights activist Zarifa Ghafari landed at Cologne/Bonn airport late Monday after fleeing Afghanistan to Pakistan last week. (AP)

The former mayor of Maidan Shahr that lies west of Kabul asserted that Afghanistan will remain theirs notwithstanding who rules the country.

“Afghanistan was ours & it'll remain ours no matter who comes. If women like me are not there now it's because...just like a tiger who takes two steps back to come back with more force...We have to show to the world the real face of Taliban in Afghanistan,” ANI quoted Ghafari as saying.

Many former Afghan officials have fled the war-torn region and are seeking refuge in other countries. Ghafari fled to Germany with the help of the German army as they were facilitating the evacuation of Afghan officials, activists and lawyers whose lives were in danger for helping Nato forces.

The former Afghan official now wants to draw attention to the plight of Afghans by meeting high ranking officials, politicians and women of different countries. Ghafari is also open for talks with the Taliban leaders.

“I want to talk to the Taliban leaders. I am taking responsibility. I am even forgetting the death of my father. I want to negotiate with them on behalf of every unspoken woman,” she added.

She also commented on the role of external players like Pakistan in the ongoing crisis. Pakistan has long been accused of helping the Taliban in their offensive against the government forces. “The role of Pakistan is very clear, every child of Afghanistan knows this,” she said.