Tuesday, November 3, 2026
News

Former Afghan finance minister now drives Uber in Washington

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Washington | March 21, 2022 12:52:18 PM IST
Khalid Payenda, who was once Afghanistan's finance minister, now makes a living in Washington as an Uber driver.

A week before the Taliban seized Kabul, Payenda had resigned from his position after President Ashraf Ghani lashed out at him in a public meeting.

The finance minister didn't think the government was about to fall, however, he felt he had lost the Ashraf Ghani president's trust, The Washington Post reported.

Even after the months of the tragic fall of Afghanistan, the question of who was at fault still haunts Payenda. Payenda shares the blame with his fellow Afghans and himself for the swift collapse of the democratically elected government.

"We didn't have the collective will to reform, to be serious," he said.

The former minister also blamed the Americans for handing the country to the Taliban and betraying the enduring values that supposedly had animated their fight. "It eats at you inside," he said.

"Right now, I don't have any place," he said. "I don't belong here, and I don't belong there. It's a very empty feeling." (ani)

The Taliban in last August took control of Afghanistan since then country is in chaos and in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Last week, Afghanistan was listed as the world's unhappiest country for the second year in a row.

The World Happiness Report, a publication of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, every year rates happiness with a survey of about 149 countries.

The annual report ranked Afghanistan as last among 149 countries surveyed, while Finland remained the world's happiest country. (ANI)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
 
MORE WORLD NEWS
Zelenskyy says Russia preparing massive ...
'If our people vote, we win in a landsli...
US Democrat Pooja Sethi dares Paxton to ...
Trump warns US may target Iran's Pickaxe...
Bangladesh: Garment workers' protests en...
Democrat Amy Acton holds 7.9-point lead ...
More...
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Suspend Aadhav Arjuna from cabinet, take...
Turns out boy plays aggressive games: ...
Amit Shah assures Centres support for C...
8 arrested for assault on BSF personnel ...
Domestic help murder case: Delhi Court f...
SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal seeks privil...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
India, Denmark explore deeper coope... 
One Purpos India Forum by CSRBOX 20... 
Displeased by spotty obedience, Xi ... 
Bangladesh deploys 12 BGB Platoons,... 
Karnataka Deputy CM Parameshwara se... 
BJP chief Nitin Nabin to lead 'Lokt... 
Congress' TB Jayachandra defends Ka... 
"Curzon in 1905, Jinnah in 1947, an...