As we climbed into the taxi, we were welcomed not only by the driver Sher Khan, but also by an array of Indian actresses whose photos were plastered all over the car. As we made our journey towards the other side of Kabul, It was an ideal opportunity to get a first-hand account of someone living in Kabul.
Our initial query was whether he knew of where bombing had taken place in October 2001, to which he replied that he was in Peshawar at the time. However, he knew of a rocket exploding on election night close to the German embassy. Indeed, Sher khan had spent a lot of time in Pakistan, travelling widely from Kashmir to Karachi.
When asked about the price of fuel, he explained that the price of a litre had rocketed from 13 Afghanis before the election to 24 Afghanis soon after (45 Afghanis=$1), common foodstuffs had become expensive too. As we drive past what have been commonly described as Russian flats, we learn that families of soldiers killed during Najibullah’s time were given them. We also pass Qila Zaman Khan (also known as cement ‘khana’) where we accompanied the British mobile patrol just the day before.
As it was the first day of Ramadhan, it dawned on me to ask whether he was fasting, to which he replied that he had fasted yesterday too. He even knew some people who had fasted the day before as we pass Kabul’s main hospital, where he tells us 400 patients can be treated at a time.
“There is peace and calm at the moment, but the local warlords cannot stay long without picking a fight with each other.”
Did he have a beard during the Taleban era I asked? “Yes and we were delighted when they came, they acted according to Shariah. However, later when he heard of hands being cut off he got frightened. “If someone steals they should be put in prison, they shouldn’t have their hands cut off.” He reasoned.
When asked about why he didn’t do anything to change the situation (as he was a Talib himself), he said what could I do by myself? The Taleban ruled well but they didn’t have any development plans. Which brought us conveniently to the subject of Hamid Karzai. “He will develop this country, although he will need the foreign forces to support him. He has a first-class brain and he knows 28 languages.” When I suggested that he travels abroad more than he does locally, Sher Khan suggested that he maybe scared but there is nothing wrong with that, rather it’s understandable.
When the question of the fare arose. “You are guests in my homeland, I am Afghani, you don’t have to pay the fare.”
Are you Afghani first or Muslim first? I questioned. “I am a Muslim first, One has to learn about Allah, then about oneself, then about their country and then the world,” he elaborately explained.
What about the election, were there long queues at the polling stations I enquired, “I don’t know as I didn’t vote, I didn’t have time and that’s all I can say on that.” Deciding to change the subject, I enquired about the photos of Indian actresses in the car to which he explained, “It is not my car, I am actually quite religious.”
In all this barrage of questioning, it was amazing that he was able to manage his way through the traffic while answering what were sometimes emotive questions. Asking him to be careful when driving, he explained that as long as his car was fine, he was fine too.
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