On the day Kabul fell I refused to leave – I am not ready to give up on Afghanistan yet | Obaidullah Baheer

We have to sit with the Taliban now and accept this new reality. I wake up every morning, put on my bravest face and try to raise my voice for my people

It is mind-boggling how fast some world-defining moments happen to us. From entering a meeting to exiting it, my world had changed. There were people running in panic and the traffic was jammed. You could see armoured vehicles with their security protocols cutting through traffic. The city had fallen before the Taliban had entered it. There was no police, no armed forces and all government employees were asked to leave their offices.

The first night was lawless. I had to hide everything of value in my house and abandon it.