The first time he flew his cargo plane through the clouds over his hometown of Kabul, Tauheed Khan swelled with pride. During the US-led, 20-year war against the Taliban, Afghan Air Force pilots played a key role alongside American counterparts, some carrying out strikes that inflicted heavy casualties on the hardline Islamists. That coalition ended in August 2021, when foreign troops withdrew and Kabul fell to the Taliban. Khan now finds himself in neighboring Pakistan with his young family, fearing that they could be killed if they return to an Afghanistan now under the grip of the very forces he fought against. Worsening their plight, anti-migrant policies in both Washington and Islamabad mean time is running out to find a safe alternative, including a looming deadline at the end of this month. The war, which began with the US invasion in 2001 following the September 11 attacks, devastated Afghanistan’s civilian…
