Afghanistan: Pilot who fled at age of 9 is now helping Afghan refugees to escape Taliban

Amid the sad state of affairs in Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover, there have been some interesting anecdotes too and one such is of Zak Khogyani, a United Airlines pilot. He was forced to leave Afghanistan along with his family when he was merely a 9-year-old kid. But recently, life came full circle for him when he had a unique opportunity to help with the Afghan rescue by ferrying refugees from Germany to the United States while also acting as a translator on board, according to a report by CNN.

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August, the Pentagon asked the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to assist in the emergency evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies. Khogyani, who has been a United Airlines pilot for 27 years, contacted the company's CEO and offered to assist as it was a "personal matter" for him. Khogyani's grandfather had served as a judge and senator, and his father served as the governor of three provinces in Afghanistan.

Back in the late 1970s, death threats against his family had increased as the political situation in the country changed. The deteriorating situation had forced the Khogyani's family to leave the country in 1977, as per CNN. The frightening car ride to the Kabul airport is still fresh in Khogyani's mind. According to him, he only had one tiny bag with him at the time of leaving the country. They didn't bring any family mementoes, photos, or additional clothing. He was ripped from one existence and thrust into an unknown future. Khogyani describes the atmosphere as "extremely heavy." "Nobody had much to say. My mother had kept me in the dark about our impending departure from the country," he was quoted as saying by CNN.

Khogyani accompanied 1,000 Afghan passengers on three planes from Europe to the US

Khogyani claimed that those memories were still fresh in his mind when he was granted permission in August to assist in evacuating Afghan refugees. He flew to a German airstrip to meet evacuees who had been brought in from Kabul. He accompanied 1,000 Afghan travellers on three planes from Europe to the United States within the span of nine days, also acting as an interpreter for the refugees and a "symbol of a brighter tomorrow." He astonished the evacuees at first as he greeted them in Pashto at the boarding gate, their native tongue. He said, "Welcome, I hope you come joyfully," as per CNN.

It should be mentioned here that diapers, baby wipes, pacifiers, and blankets were donated to the Afghan families by the United Airlines personnel. These donations, as well as chocolate and toys, were piled high in the overhead bins. To make the kids feel more at ease, someone glued crayon pictures inside of the cabin. That's when Khogyani's memories began to pour back. His feelings astounded him. Suddenly, he was that nervous nine-year-old boy fleeing Afghanistan, not an intrepid global traveller. "There were a number of youngsters on the flight, and each one reminded me of our own escape in some way or other," Khogyani recalls as reported by CNN.

Image: Twitter/@United Airlines/AP