... in order to save our lives...
For a refugee family, life in Peshwar is full of difficulties. Afghan refugees are strongly warned to leave Pakistan. The refugee families face discrimination on a daily basis.
After the Northern Alliance collapsed and Taliban came to power, we moved back to Kabul with hope of liberation. Life under the Taliban rule was horrifying. After the defeat of the Taliban by the Americans, and the return of Northern Alliance, we noticed that the situation was not much different. The Northern Alliance were the other face of the same coin. It seemed as though we were in a new nightmare. Once again, we decided to leave the country. On our way to Jalalabad we were targeted once again, but this time by our "American brothers." The peace keepers targeted us and as a result I lost my father, mother, sister and nephew and four of us were seriously injured. We buried the bodies of my parents, sister and my nephew in Laghman province. We were brought to Pakistan for our injuries. I wished I had died in that instance, for I couldn't take the hardship anymore.
As soon as my brother got better, Commander Agah Gull once again asked my hand for marriage. My brother and I rejected his proposal again, however, he was persistent and started threatening our lives again. To save my family from this misery I decided to commit suicide, but unfortunately I did not succeed.
We are now living a secret life in Rawalpindi. We had to leave Peshawar because we were constantly threatened by Agah Gull. I never go anywhere alone. My disabled brother is collecting trash so we can survive. My other brother Ahmad Shah has gone to Kabul to sell our households because we have nothing here. He has not contacted us for the last three months.
Patient Stories from Malalai Hospital
The Afghan Women's Mission
