Where is Aryana Sayeed? Afghan Pop Star Squarely Blames Pakistan for Training Taliban

Afghan singer, songwriter and TV personality Aryana Sayeed, who left Afghanistan after the country was taken over by Taliban, has severely criticized Pakistan for empowering the terrorist outfit.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sayeed said: "I do blame Pakistan. Over the years, we have seen videos, seen evidence that Pakistan is behind empowering the Taliban. Every time our government touches the Taliban they see identification and it would see a Pakistani person, so it's very obvious that I blame them and hope that they back off and don't interfere in politics in Afghanistan anymore."

She also claimed that the Taliban terrorists are being instructed and trained by Pakistan, according to ANI.

Earlier this month, Sayeed had deplored Taliban terror and sought the help of the US and the UN. "Please ask @unitednations, @potus and the rest of the world to put pressure on Pakistan to stop supporting Taliban and Terrorism by commenting with this hashtag sanction Pakistan," he Instagram post on August 9 read.

'International Community Should Not Offer Funds to Pakistan for Funding the Taliban'

She also conveyed that the Taliban have their bases in Pakistan and receive training from those bases. "I hope the international community, first of all, cut off their funds and don't offer funds to Pakistan for funding the Taliban," said Sayeed.

Moreover, she urged the international community to sit down and find a solution to bring peace to Afghanistan. "I hope they can put pressure on Pakistan. I believe that we're dealing with all these issues in Afghanistan because of Pakistan," she added, according to ANI.

Sayeed Thanked India for Helping Afghans During the Ongoing Crisis

The Afghan singer praised the Indian government's efforts in Afghanistan and termed India as "true friend".

"On behalf of Afghanistan, I want to express my utmost gratitude to India and I want to say thank you. Over the years we've realized that the only good friend in the neighborhood we have is, India," she said.

Sayeed Says Taliban Don't Treat Women Humanly

Sayeed also gave an exclusive interview to India Today TV on August 22 in which she highlighted her efforts to escape from the Taliban rule. She said she has been a direct target for the militant group for many years.

"I managed to escape somehow on the C-17 plane on August 16 with the help of the American Army and now I am here in Washington DC. But my heart still bleeds for my people in Afghanistan," Sayeed said.

In the interview, she also said that the proposed government formation by the militant group should not be recognized by the world as they do not treat people, especially women, humanly.

Sayeed Was a Supporter of the #WhereIsMyName Campaign

Aryana Sayeed sings mostly in Persian/Dari but also has many songs in Pashto. She is one of Afghanistan's most famous musical artists, performing regularly in concerts and philanthropic festivals within and outside Afghanistan.

According to a media report, Sayeed was a supporter of the #WhereIsMyName campaign led by Laleh Osmany, which brought about a change in Afghan law so that women's names could be included on identity cards.

Sayeed in 2015, sang at a stadium, breaking three taboos: Singing as a woman; Not wearing hijab; and entering a stadium as a woman, which was forbidden under the Taliban, according to ANI.

Where is Sayeed Right Now?

Sayeed's exact location is still unknown. She gave the interview to ANI from an undisclosed location. She said, "I am not inside Afghanistan, I'm outside but I'll try my best to be the voice of the voiceless, I'll try to spread the word out there and see what we can do to get help to focus on Afghanistan and its people." She also conveyed that she has a career outside Afghanistan as well and a big following all over the world.