Five years back, Abdul Razaq Khan, a former interpreter and assistant for Canadian journalists during the Afghan conflict, received a late-night message from one of the reporters he had guided through the chaotic streets of Kandahar. At that time, he was trying to rest in his residence in Kabul, having relocated after the Canadian departure from Afghanistan to work at the American humanitarian organization USAID.
In the summer of 2021, the Taliban made significant advances towards Kabul. The message he received inquired about his well-being, to which Khan replied, expressing the dire situation as akin to doomsday for them. Now, five years later and resettled safely in Canada, Khan continues to grapple with the loss of his job, home, and homeland, reflecting on the sequence of events that led to the rapid downfall of the government supported by Western nations.
“I had no choice but to abandon my homeland. Leaving one’s country is never a joyous decision,” Khan lamented.
