'One of those fell from US Air Force plane was member of Afghan national football team'
United Nations, Aug 19: A 19-year-old Zaki Anwari, who tragically fell from a US Air Force plane departing from Kabul as the Taliban took over the war-torn country was reportedly a member of the Afghanistan national football team, Director General of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies Davood Moradian told the UN Security Council on Thursday.
19-year-old Zaki Anwari was a student of Esteqlal High School — one of the most prestigious schools in Afghanistan.
Moradian, who escaped from Kabul as the Taliban took control of the country on Sunday, virtually spoke at the UN Security Council briefing on 'Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts', chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held under India's current Presidency of the Council.
I was at Kabul airport when desperate passengers held departing US airplanes and also my own airplane that was due to leave Kabul airport, he said.
It was sheer human desperation, helplessness and fear. One of the passengers that fell to the ground from a flying USA plane was reportedly a member of Afghanistan national football team.
These passengers were not alone in their desperation and fear. They represent millions of Afghans from diverse backgrounds, from women's rights activists to farmers. The world must intervene to avert and mitigate an apocalyptic humanitarian tragedy, Moradian said.
He said that he is using the word catastrophe to describe the situation in Afghanistan because "I was in a very catastrophic situation in Kabul just 48 hours ago.
The crisis of Afghanistan during the last four decades has shown that a military solution is just a brief pause to the next phase of the war. The Taliban and their regional partners, particularly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, should reflect on their principal goal in either mitigating or accelerating a catastrophic situation in Afghanistan, he added.
At least seven people, including three Afghan nationals who clung to a US Air Force plane to escape Taliban rule, died on Monday in a melee at the Kabul airport, as hundreds of people scrambled to board flights in a desperate bid to get out of Afghanistan, following the toppling of the government led by President Ashraf Ghani.
The Taliban insurgents swept Kabul on Sunday after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed and President Ghani fled the country, bringing an unprecedented end to a two-decade campaign in which the US and its allies had tried to transform the war-ravaged nation.
Three Afghan nationals fell to death from the sky as they failed in their bid to flee the Taliban rule in Afghanistan by clinging to a US Air Force plane, according to video clips posted by a local news agency.
According to TOLOnews, some people were killed and wounded by gunfire in the Kabul international airport as hundreds of people crowded the airport to board flights.
Kabul airport was overwhelmed on Sunday night with over 2,000 people hoping to board commercial flights leaving the country, it said.
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Delhi CM joins 'Shakti Walk' at Kartavya Path on International Women's Day
New Delhi (PTI): A "Shakti Walk" was organised at Kartavya Path here on Sunday to mark International Women's Day, with the Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta calling it a reflection of women's collective strength and their role in nation-building.
The event was also attended by Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, Minister of State Anupriya Patel and Savitri Thakur, and National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, along with hundreds of women.
Speaking at the event, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the event reflected the spirit of women's empowerment and their role in nation-building.
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"Today, through this Kartavya Path, we are reminded that our responsibility is not only towards ourselves or our families but also towards society and the country," Gupta said while addressing participants.
Extending greetings on the occasion, she said the day was meant to honour women's strength and dignity.
"Today is truly a day that honours the power of women and enhances their dignity across the world and the country," she said.
Gupta said women in India were achieving new milestones across sectors.
"From startups to space missions, from teachers to doctors and engineers and in every major project, today India's women are leading. Today, women lead the armed forces, and they also lead society," she said.
"Today is a day for all of us to think ahead, to set goals and to determine our role in nation building. India will move forward under the leadership of women's power. The women of India will lead the country forward," Gupta said.
Union minister Annapurna Devi said women across the country were demonstrating their capabilities in every field and encouraged them to continue moving forward and achieving new milestones.
The event was organised to celebrate women's achievements and to encourage greater participation of women in leadership roles across society, officials said.
