31 January, 2026
Like the girl at the Kabul Airport, Mullah Shakeeb could have also been a Pakistani citizen as he grew up, was educated, and spent decades in Pakistan. I went to meet him. As I was led toward his office in the impressive Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, I was eager to see him in the new role: from a student of my life coaching to the ambassadorship. He shared his experiences. “The Ambassador’s residence was too expensive,” he told me, “so I have asked the staff to cancel the contract.” When he requested a simple place, the staff arranged a guest room for Rs. 6,000 per night. I was humbled, as I was staying at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel at Rs. 38,000 per night at that time. “The Emirates of Afghanistan can’t afford this amount.” When asked where he would stay, he pointed at the carpet in the office. The staff found him in a small room in the Embassy where he was staying when I met him.
A few months later, he invited me for dinner at his house. It was around 500 square yards and hardly had space for his diplomatic Mercedes. He told me how an acquaintance gifted him a million rupees, insisting it was a personal gift. The Afghan Government was having difficulty paying salaries at that time. Mullah Shakeeb asked, “Would you have gifted this to me if I were not the Ambassador?” When the person said no, he deposited the amount into the Afghan Government’s account.
On August 24, 2023, I conducted a five-day Strategic Visions workshop in Kabul for the employees of the Naseer Foundation, a prominent local humanitarian organization, and the Afghan Railway Authority. There were a few independent participants also. Most of these people were members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (in short, Taliban), an Islamic movement like the Jamaat-e-Islami founded in India in 1941 or the Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) founded in Egypt in 1928.
As I conducted the workshop, I had a powerful realization: the eyes of the participants reflected multiple Mullah Shakeebs. Mullah Shakeebs are rare in Pakistan’s political system, but they are the norm in the Emirates of Afghanistan. They spent two decades in the trenches, fighting the most potent military alliance of 51 nations in history. And now, they hold various government positions and work in civil society, busy building their country with the same ideological conviction, leadership qualities, and character traits (discipline, commitment, and courage) that enabled them to win the war. And yes, if Pakistan had similar immigration policies as the US, a large part of the Taliban leadership would be Pakistani citizens. Theoretically, much of the leadership building Afghanistan is Pakistani, having been educated and trained in Pakistani schools, madaris, and universities.
It reminds me of the world’s largest international airline, Emirates, flying to 158 destinations in 85 countries. It operates 269 aircraft and has the world’s largest fleet of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, with a revenue of US$ 16.1 billion in 2022.
As compared to Emirates, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operates only 30 aircraft and posted a net loss of US$ 315 million in the same period. Here is a sad fact: PIA played a significant role in establishing Emirates Airlines in its early years, providing technical and administrative assistance, leasing a Boeing 737-300 and an Airbus A300B4-200, and operating these aircraft with its pilots and crew. The very first flight of Emirates was from Dubai to Karachi, Pakistan, on October 25, 1985.
Just as we Pakistanis are behind the world’s largest international airline, people educated and trained in Pakistan—like Mullah Shakeeb, Jalaluddin Haqqani (the father of the current Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani); Mullah Yaqub, the Minister of Defence and the son of Mullah Mohammed Umer; Mullah Sharafat, the Minister of Railways; Mullah Hedayatullah, the Governor of the State Bank of Afghanistan; and Mullah Amir Khan Mutaqqi, the Foreign Minister—might end up building one of the greatest countries of the world.
Unfortunately, I believe that the current Western-styled democracy in Pakistan has taken up an unintended design which is exacerbated by the unique social fabric and history of Pakistan, such as:
- The legacy of the British Raj
- Tribalism and feudalism
The dichotomy and conflict between Islamic ideology and secular capitalistic ideals exist at every level of society. This system doesn’t allow Mullah Shakeebs in our society to climb the political ladder. As I have said earlier, there are Mullah Shakeebs in Pakistan’s political system, but they are the exception and not the rule. Whereas, by design, the Emirate of Afghanistan attracts and thrives on people like him.
These dynamics led me to establish the Nakhla Program in Afghanistan, where we support over 500 widows and orphans. Many of these children will come to Pakistan for higher studies only to return to Afghanistan to serve—diamonds that will be cut and polished in Pakistan only to shine in Afghanistan. Just as this thought brings me joy, it breaks my heart into a million pieces.
اب کہو کارواں کہ ہر کو چلے
راتے کھو گئے چراغ جلتے
تختے محبت کی ابتدا کے قصور
وہ تمبم جو آنکھوں میں ڈھلے
خاک سے سینکڑوں اُگے خورشید
ہے اندھیرا مگر چراغ تلے
احسان دانش
“Now, say where the caravan should go.
The paths are lost even though the lamps are lit.
They were the faults of the beginning of love that resulted in the smile that ultimately melted in tears.
Hundreds of suns rose from the dust, but darkness remained under the lamp.”
– Ehsan Danish
I pray to Allah (SWT) that a day comes when we change our system so that the diamonds of Pakistan get a chance to shine in Pakistan.