October 24, 2021
1 min read

Afghan pilots who fled to Tajikistan face uncertainty

Trained by the United States, the Afghan pilots say their documents have been completed for traveling and they hope they will soon be able to go to the United States….reports Asian Lite News

 Afghan military pilots who fled to Tajikistan when the Taliban seized power in Kabul say the militant group is pressuring them to return to Afghanistan by threatening to kill their relatives, RFE/RL reported.

Trained by the United States, the Afghan pilots say their documents have been completed for traveling and they hope they will soon be able to go to the United States.

But two Afghan pilots who are sheltering at sanatoriums on the outskirts of Dushanbe said the Taliban is now trying to force them to return to Afghanistan, the report said.

One Afghan pilot, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL that his son back in Afghanistan was beaten by the Taliban and that the militants threatened to kill the boy if the pilot did not return.

Another pilot said that Taliban militants have gone to the homes of several of his family members to demand that the pilot return to Afghanistan, the report added.

He said that the Taliban has a list of the names of all 143 Afghan pilots now in Tajikistan. He said Taliban authorities are increasing pressure on all of the pilots by threatening their relatives in Afghanistan, the report added.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied that the Taliban is threatening the relatives of the pilots.

“Nobody cares about them,” Mujahid said. “They come up with high-profile stories to obtain refugee status. We have said many times that if they return, no one will touch them here.”

In August, shortly after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the Taliban issued a call for all of the US-trained Afghan pilots to join them in order to fly aircraft that the group had seized at military bases across Afghanistan.

ALSO READ: Kyrgyzstan rules out providing military base to US

Previous Story

Kyrgyzstan rules out providing military base to US

Next Story

Pakistan Break India WC Jinx

Latest from -Top News

‘Kill and Dump’ Haunts Balochistan Again

The latest killings have reignited accusations of extrajudicial executions and the use of counterterrorism laws to cover up custodial deaths in Balochistan….reports Asian Lite News Concerns have deepened across Balochistan following the

‘ASEAN Expands, But Keeps Its Soul’

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan urged ASEAN to uphold its unity and strategic resolve amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and mounting external pressures…reports Asian Lite News Consensus and inclusivity will remain the cornerstones

Bangladesh bends to beat Trump’s blow

Dhaka seeks compromise as Trump’s 35% tariff looms large over key exports; Washington urges worker protections, factory relocation to US…reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh has opened the second round of critical trade

China seethes as US lands F-35s in PH

As US F-35 jets land in the Philippines for the first time, Manila cements its frontline role in Washington’s power play against rising China….reports Asian Lite News The Philippines is rapidly cementing
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Taliban welcomes China to Afghanistan

China has already declared that it was ready to extend

Passport delays upset Afghan citizens

Passport applicants have been attempting to get passports for many