Washington. Former Afghanistan finance minister Khalid Payenda, who fled the country just before the Taliban takeover in August last year, is now making a living as an Uber driver in Washington.
“If I complete 50 trips in the next two days, I’ll get a $95 bonus,” Payenda was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
The Guardian reported in its report that The Washington Post quoted Payenda near a Honda Accord car.
The 40-year-old former politician once presented a US-backed $6 billion budget and now the odds are that he has to drive a taxi. The Post reported that in one night earlier this week, he earned a little over $150 for six hours of work. He usually doesn’t count taxi trips and is working hard to earn a living.
Payenda resigned as finance minister a week before the Taliban captured Kabul, as his relations with former president Asraf Ghani deteriorated.
Fearing that the President might order his arrest, he leaves for America, where he joins his family.
In a message to a World Bank official on the day Kabul was captured, Payenda said: “We had 20 years and the support of the whole world to create a system that worked for the people,” the Post reported. “
Elaborating on this, he said, “We had 20 years and the support of the whole world to create a system that would work for our people, but we only picked up cards, which are easily shattered.” Gone. These playing cards stood on the foundation of corruption.”
The Post recorded Payenda telling a passenger that his move from Kabul to Washington was an adjustment.
He also said that he was grateful for the opportunity to be able to support his family, but, at the same time, added, “Right now, I have no place. I don’t belong here and I am from there now.” I don’t even belong. It’s a very empty feeling.”
He continued, “I saw a lot of inequality and we failed. I was part of the failure. It’s hard when you see people’s suffering and you feel responsible.”
Payenda told the Post that he believed there was no collective desire to reform, to be serious, among Afghan citizens.
By making Afghanistan the focus of post-9/11 policy, the US betrayed its commitment to democracy and human rights, he said.
—AnyTV News
read this also – Click to read the news of your state / city before the newspaper