'Haven't spoken with family in 4 months', says Afghan national in Delhi, calls situation in Afghanistan 'disturbing'

Hasibullah Siddiqui, an Afghan national living in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi said that he had not spoken with his parents and brother for the past three to four months.

As the Taliban continues to capture more cities and provincial capitals in Afghanistan rapidly, an Afghan national living in Delhi on Friday said that he has not been able to contact his family who is living in a village in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters stand guard along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, after government forces pulled out. (AFP)

Hasibullah Siddiqui, an Afghan national living in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi said that he had not spoken with his parents and brother for the past three to four months. “I have not spoken with my parents and brother for three to four months, unaware of their whereabouts. They live in a village, and network connectivity is poor there. Taliban has captured many major capitals,” news agency ANI quoted Siddiqui as saying.

Siddiqui, who has been living in India for the past four years, said that the present situation in Afghanistan is disturbing. “I am living in India for past four years. Present situation in Afghanistan is disturbing. I have been told that the Taliban is abducting young boys, taking them to Pakistan, marrying young girls and forcing them to wear hijab (veil). Girls can not walk around freely now,” he further said.

Another report showed that the Taliban has banned the Covid-19 vaccines in Paktia in east Afghanistan. They had also put up a notice about the same on the Paktia regional Regional Hospital.

Earlier on Friday, the Taliban took over the capital of Logar province, located just 50kms to the south of Kabul. Kandahar, another major city, and Lashkar Gah, the capital of neighboring Helmand province, have also fallen to the Taliban. Barring the capital city of Kabul and a few pockets of land, the Taliban has overrun many parts of the country.

While the US and the UK have deployed forces again in the country to secure the return of their nationals, India had said that it is prepared for the rapid evacuation of its citizens, officials and diplomats from the country.