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Slain Afghan interpreter’s family get emergency visa for US
The family of an Afghan man who was killed after helping U.S. troops has received emergency approval to move to the United States, lawyers and advocates for the family told Stars and Stripes.
According to Stripes, the man, known by the pseudonym Mohammad, worked for the U.S Embassy and military in Afghanistan for 12 years and is believed to have been killed by Taliban insurgents while waiting for a U.S. immigration visa.
His widow and six children continued to face threats after his murder and applied for humanitarian parole, a status that allows those under immediate threat to seek refuge in the United States, Stripes reported.
Their application was approved last week and advocacy groups are ready to greet them, said Cress Clippard, a Marine veteran and a volunteer for the Houston-based Combined Arms SIVs and Allies.
“I firmly believe that this decision is saving the lives of Mohammad’s wife and children,” Clippard said. “He served alongside us, and his family deserves to be taken care of. Houston is ready and willing to take them in and support them.”
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services declined to comment on the case Monday due to privacy restrictions, Stripes reported.
Mohammad waited almost a decade for a Special Immigrant Visa, which allows those facing threats after aiding the U.S. to immigrate with their families, said the family’s lawyer, Julie Kornfeld of the International Refugee Assistance Project.
His SIV application was wrongfully delayed, and prior to his murder in January he faced constant threats on his life from the Taliban for working with the Americans, his son told Stars and Stripes.
Mohammad’s family members remain in hiding in Afghanistan as they prepare to come to the U.S., their lawyer said.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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