My first car incident with UN vehicle at KBL-Jal Road

I was driving to learn the pros & cons of driving while i crashed my Suzuki Saraha with a high speed to UN vehicle, with out having diving licence. I wrote the following application to claim for my expenses on behalf of my brother while changing the driver as my younger brother had his driving licence.

Vehicle Incident Report
Name: Eimal
Address: Hootkheil, District 9, Kabul, Afghanistan.
Tel: 0772038388 or 0797273972

To: UNAMA Compound
Kabul-Jalalabad Road, Kabul, Afghanistan.


To Whom It May Concern:

I am applying to claim my expenses on my car as a result of the UNAMA‘s vehicle crash on December 22, 2009 at 03:20-25PM on Kabul-Jalalabad Road.

Background of the Incident:

I was driving on my right side road, coming from East. While a UNAMA vehicle coming on Kabul-Jalalabad Road from West, Kabul city towards UNAMA compound trying to make a U-turn left to get to other road on UNAMA side without considering our car going on the road and the other car already parked there.

Seeing UN driver’s haste, I slowed down to let the UN vehicle move but the UN driver stopped for seconds and immediately moved ahead on the road causing cars’ crash. Guards and other visitors who had watched the incident told the UN driver verbally that he could have waited for a second so, that the incident would not have happened.

After the incident, UN investigation team arrived and checked the incident, asking me to take the car out of the place so that the road will not be blocked for traffic. The team told me to bring receipts along the application for the damages to the UNAMA office for further process. So, I have attached the receipts which include parts damages like Hood, Grilles, Header/Nose panel, head light and wages of the mechanics for repairs & color. The total cost is 34,300AFS equals $705 USD. In addition, the details can be found in the receipts.

I hope the UNAMA‘s then mission in charge of the study would have prepared a biased incident report.


Sincerely,


Eimal

Afghan ID card/Tazkira

Due to the suicide assault on one of the parliamentarians home, closed to our offices that caused windows’ glasses smashed, file cabinets and wooden doors broken into parts. Everywhere was messed up with files, torn curtains and broken glasses, whereas some glasses were hanging on windows too.

On this sudden occasion the Executive Management of the office announced five days holidays which later on exceed to seven days. It was to stay out side the office till it is cleaned and repaired. To get advantage of these holidays, I got my degree registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and got Afghan Identification Card/Tazkira.

Getting an ID requires a lot of time and the process is not an easy job to follow. When I decided to get my ID, I needed to fill out form issues by the local administration authority and submitted to the Kabul Governor office for getting his assistant’s signature to proceed with the first stage. It took me an hour to get the Governor Assistant signature and upon return of the form from the Governor assistant I asked guidance for the next action. I was instructed to sign by two different sections within the Governor office, followed by, sending me to local representative leader/Malik’s signature where he would justify me as a residence of the district 9, Kabul City and then would require getting concurrence on the form from the Ministry of municipality. I went twice to the municipality of district 9 after the Malik’s harmony. Firstly, the officer within the municipality told me that he should write Malik to justify me as residence of the district and additionally, the municipality officer writing should be at the top while Malik had already written about me on the top at the back side of the form and this wasn’t looking good to the officer. He was thinking that writing at the top of the page shows superiority or was finding ways to get something. The officer was speaking in half tang and I was trying to convince him that either ways are fine as the purpose is the same “to get yours and Malik’s acceptance on the form”. After talking a lot another roommate at the same office told me that he wants you to pay him which I didn’t. So, I went back to Malik and told him that the municipality Officer wants you to write under his text on the form. During my presence with the Officer in municipality, the administrator officer with who I was standing, insisted other officers that it is not good to ask about the money in front of all when one of the officers told others (while looking to my residency in the form) that this guy’s residency shows that they don’t pass through what we are asking him. They were all friends apart from me and were laughing when they all heard this, looking to me as they knew that I won’t pay.

Subsequently, I got the officer’s signature the following day as I was late that day. I went back to the Provincial Governor office to get the form completed. The officers there were more intelligent and were pointing flaws which really were not that I was laughing with myself and sometimes I was getting surprise that whom am I caught by. There I knew that with out paying them bribe, neither I nor the Governor could solve this problem. They were finding slip up in the text and I was finding solutions but a stag came where I couldn’t find any solution and even there wasn’t any solution for the questions. Therefore, I decided to pay them some additional money and get ride off the process. I paid only 350AFs including the registration fee and got my ID. I thanked the officer as I was already too late and got outside the office looking to my ID.

A Road Trip to Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan

Last Thursday, I woke up at 4 o’clock, took shower, changed cloth, prayed and went out from home to get a taxi till the bus station or Puli Mahmood Khan. It’s a distance of 3-4 kilometer to get there. When I got out, it was too dark and small drops of snow was falling down. I stood on the road known as Kabul-Jalalabad Road to catch a Taxi (All passengers going Jalalabad or coming to Kabul passes through this road). It was too early and I could hardly see two or three vehicles after five or six minutes on the road but none of them wanted to stop by. The road was wet and slippery and I was standing aside, to protect my clothes from the mud while vehicles passing through the road but when I spent sometime and saw that none of the driver is stopping I went to the middle of the road, left some space that a vehicle can pass and started walking towards Puli Mohmood Khan. Sometimes I was waving my hand, looking to the vehicle driver when he was getting closed to me or moving through wards the vehicles, thinking that someone may feel pity watching the snow or will pretend that I am in hurry. While walking on the road, I heard Azan and realized that I have prayed to early, didn’t think of the time but was just in hurry to reach my destination on time. Suddenly, a taxi slowly passed me and the driver asked me if I am going to bazaar. Without discussion, I sat and reached Puli Mahmood Khan within 10 minutes. In normal days you can see many corollas, standing there and the drivers could catch anybody walking on the road if he is going to Jalalabad or Torkham but that morning I counted that there were only seven and the drivers were inside the vehicles. One of the corollas already had passengers while only one person was left in the front seat. I sat in that corolla (as the weather conditions were not good and I thought that there won’t be more travelers) and started the journey to Torkham Pakistan boarder. I was sitting in front with the driver while a boy and a lady with her two sons were at the back. She was here, to see her father and mother whereas she was living with her husband in Peshawar City, Pakistan and the young boy, age 26-28 who was taking her back, was her nephew.On the way, I had my own discussions with the driver while the children were talking with her mother and sometimes to their uncle. We traveled slowly for one and half hour and reached Sarobai as the vehicles lights we too dim and the driver was looking new too. Till Torkham I was listening to the radio news in different channels, having naps and sometimes talking with the driver.
After traveling for four and half hours we reached the Pakistan boarder and was a bit unhappy as I was thinking that I am late. Paid the driver and proceed to the gate. While walking on the road (the police officers do not let vehicles from that portion to the gate, people walk and enter Pakistan) I saw bunch of people standing in the middle and at the side of the road but when I got closed, I saw that the Afghan police offices do not allow people with out passport or ID cards (given by Pakistan Government or UNHCR). I entered into the rush and started struggling to get out from there but saw that there were only two places where people could pass while others were covered with razor wires and these were the people who were with out the IDs, neither had passport nor Pakistan IDs. Among the people there were females, children and elders. Additionally, I saw that lady and the boy who accompanied me in the vehicle and were there. I tried to get out from there but the police officer pushed me back and it was repeated for the second time while I was trying to go from that section. I showed my passport to the officer by telling him that my dearest this small note book which I have is my passport after looking at my passport he allowed me to go. I walked fast and didn’t watch my back, get stamped my passport with EXIT and after 5 minutes I came to a place where Pakistani police officers were checking the IDs too. It took sometime till I reached the gate where they would check IDs and let the person to get stamp their passports with ENTRY. I noticed that some folks were transferred by paying to the officers but because of too many people standing there, the officers were assigning other representatives amongst the people, who were talking |negotiating with those Afghan after receiving payments the person or representatives of the officer within the people would have winkled the officer and then he would knew that he has received something from him and would let him enter Pakistan.

In short, from the boarder till Peshawar city it took me one and half hour and from there to Islamabad it took three and half hours to reach through GT road as DAEWOO transportation only travels through GT road and were not using the motorway which will take us only two and half hours to reach Islamabad. I called the Afghan Embassy to let them know that I might be only ten minutes late due to the traffic or of the big trip that I have. First they accepted and asked me to let them known when I am closed to Islamabad but later on, when I called they ignored me and because of these ten minutes, I stayed in a hotel, did other expenses and was delayed from the schedule which I had with myself that I will show myself to a doctor, upon return from Islamabad and will buy clothes for my friends and family in Peshawar but did nothing. In Friday, the embassy officers came at 9 and started their activities after 30 minutes as I was standing in front of the embassy from 8 o’clock. After ten the embassy gave me my degree, paid the registration fee which was $5 and reached Peshawar at 1:30 since it was prayer time. Therefore, I decided to leave soon because the shops will be opening after the prayer and will be good for me if I reach home on time. On the way to home, I bought some fishes at Sarobi, to tell my family that I have brought something as I know that they were expecting more things specially as the winter has began. It was getting darker similar to when I was leaving. Left in dark and reached in dark, it was looking like when we play a movie and then backward it.

ISAF in Afghanistan to assist or torture?!

I'm sorry, if I have come up with such a hard title to this post but it's painful when you hear; the growing number of US drone attacks targeting Afghan civilians, uncontrolled inflation of demand to the primary living standard needs and even when a taxi driver humbly begs for some more Afs while you to take one to reach a destination throughout Kabul.

Watching a few military maneuver American movies, I know what a war strategy means to an American soldier, they should destroy a village if there's military command of arresting an anti-US element living inside, so this would help me find my first questions' answer if ISAF is running a massacre across my country.

When it comes to the second point, it undisclosedly remains of not a public subject. However, analyzing the relationship of US, Iran and Pakistan are unbelievably complicated and require extra time to write about, but Afghans are doubtful if ISAF is honest in claiming that closing neighboring boarders to Afghanistan is part of a security protection plan rather than achieving political goals of western powers in the region. In one way or another, those are the Afghans who suffer most in consequence, a taxi driver will better be able to explain why is the petrol price stepping up everyday as one of them told me this morning:

"Well, these foreigners are either killing us by guns or stopping our national traders to import things that we need and which we do not have inside" I closed the book I was looking at inside his taxi while he was uttering these words and looking to me in blinks, I turned back - closed my book and asked him "Kaka, why is the petrol price gets up, since it's not a restricted trading good?" he replied "This is called the turn-around of the world, our fore-father's used to tell us that people with books are not as ordinary as we, remember they are more cognisant to what happens to them and their whereabouts, now I mean that the Uzbakistan's petrol is not allowed to be imported to Afghanistann as Uzbaks' lack having extra oil to sell out and foreigners [meaning ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces)] have stopped Iranian trades, they say Iran is under a UN sanctions" here I jumped in his words and told him "Kaka, it's good that we are getting ride of these devil neighbors, see how they caused all these tortures to us "He stared at me very astonished and said, we should also be hopeful to get ride of ISAF". Afghans have no friends, except themselves and have hundreds of other nations claiming friendship like Iran, Pakistan, EU and the US. BUT THEY ARE REALLY NOT!".

Kabul City

Kabul known as the capital of Afghanistan is the only safe place to live and work. Most of the cities, districts and provinces in the country are insecure and people from different parts of the country are approaching to the heart of the motherland, having the aim that they will be safe and sound either from Taliban or from the foreign militaries. During the war against Taliban in urban areas, sometimes collision forces shot civilians and catch public residents, thinking them as secret agent of Taliban. Besides, some Afghans are deploying from other countries as well and are welling to live or work in Kabul. Although, Kabul is very small but people are still trying to create spaces for themselves and are living in mountains or hilly areas where their lives are in risk because of the missile thrown by insurgence and Government against parties during the mid night. Problems of taking water (as in mountains there is no water) or getting something as food requires them to come down and take their needs back to their houses.

Most of the products here are from other countries while only some fresh fruit like grapes, apples, melons, watermelons and some dry fruits like pistachio, almond, raisins, etc are produced in Afghanistan and can be found at low-priced while other fruits and products come from Iran, Pakistan and China. Most of the electronic items, garments, shoes are from china and crops or food related items such as vegetable oil, juice, etc are from Pakistan and Iran.

At one point the city is over crowed, especially when you are out to the market for purchasing stuff for yourself or your family. You will spend a day in only purchasing few items or traveling from one part of the city to other. On the other hand, it is full of rubbish everywhere with bad odor. Some places are really worse even. The Kabul River has become the sewage and garbage dustbin while streets are full of mud. Flies and mosquitoes have built their houses over the standing water and rubbish. International communities claiming that they are here for progress and development but it seems that there is none. If ten percent of such a small capital can not be constructed in seven years then how can its thirty four provinces be constructed in such a short time. To be brief, there is no self-consciousness. Everybody is doing what looks good to him. A boy eating banana will throw its skin on the road and nobody will tell him to put it in the dustbin as all are doing the same. A driver will drive as he desires even if he hurts others, by spoiling others or throwing water and mud on someone or by passing through a speed where it’s forbidden. Well, here is no restraint for anything and here are no rules too. Earn, eat, drive, drink and enjoy without any ambitious in your life till you are alive is the mission of all.

Corruption has reached crest in Afghanistan

International communities have started working in Afghanistan since 2002 and currently there are more then forty five countries working for the development, improvement and sustainability of Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. America, Germany, United Kingdom and Czech Republic are in high superiority. Many Government Departments and private sectors are handled, managed and financed by these countries although, all departments and private organizations are audited and controlled by their clients (client; from whom they receive financial funds) but still corruption is present in all organizations; bribery, dishonesty and fraud are common practices and are growing day by day. None of the Government departments will work till you pay them something apart from the Government charges or give them something extra. If you do so, your pending work with the government will be solved even if it’s not a legal issue.
A traveler waiting to get a passport will be waiting until he| she gives the Government official something superfluous, a Government doctor will not check up a patient cautiously until you give him some money or something as a reward. A driver can not get his driving license until he| she pays additional charges for it. A student registering his school certificate from overseas will be waiting till he| she gives something to the officer. Mr. Hassan who had to register his high school certificate in 2007 with the education cell in Ministry of Education in view of the fact that he was graduated from a high school in Pakistan and thus, should be registered with the Government of Afghanistan as an Afghan student, to get his higher education internally or if he wants to get a job. He was daily going to the Ministry, to register his high school certificate but nobody was responding him in good manner. According to him he was sent from one section to other within the departments and none of the Government official was responding positively. A month was spent in doing so. Later on, one of the Government employees within the departments told him, to pay him some money to get his certificate registered with the ministry of education. There was no way with Hassan except to pay bribe and get his work done instead of wasting time.

Most of the international Organizations, specially US firms or NGOs which are financed by United States Agency for International Development or USAID are involved in corruption too. This fund which needs to be spent on the development of the country is kept in the pockets by some of their internal employees working within the organization. The most corrupt department in USAID funded projects are Contrasts, Procurements and Grants where most of the money is allocated by the client. Most of the employees working in these projects have their own or relatives firms/companies and these companies are cheating the internal information through their family members or friends and preparing a proposal or application according to the requirement and specification. Even these USAID project employees are working part time with the companies to prepare their proposal according to the mentioned criteria in the Request for Proposals send by them and receive payments from the bidders\companies. On the other hands, some of these employees working for USAID funded projects are getting percentages from the subcontractor to award them a project. Though, the Contracts, Procurements & Grants department are mostly involved in the pre-award stage till a contract is awarded. These folks are mostly interested in a firm/company that gives them more percentage from the awarded cost of the project. In this way, these internal employee starts trying to support the firm by giving them internal prepared data, information and what ever is needed to get the project. Therefore, they try to share as much information as they can provide to the subcontractor and even they get involve while preparing a proposal for them.

Afghans in a half way education

Afghanistan is an Asian Country with a population of 31,056,000. Among this population 80 percent of the population is uneducated while only 20 percent of the population, who have been to other countries as refugees, got their education. Those who couldn’t migrate remained in the country, due to some problems such as missing someone in their family, lost of father or brother in a family as a result of the war, to get them out (as he was the only male representative of the family) or because of lacking in finance and couldn’t manage to get there regular education. So, majority of the mentioned population remained uneducated.

In last three decades of war the remaining population in Afghanistan tried for their survival. These people were struggling for finding food, which was the only family voice to find meal for their just survival as their sources were very limited. Few family members were working in the fields, however it was too difficult to work. Few others to have been striving to find food by driving taxis or trucks, but despite all these efforts none of them were secured & comfortable with their lives. It is considered the main factor of illiteracy among those stayed in the country

Fear of bombing, voice of rocket launcher and tanks bombardment were in the ear of all. Mothers were waiting for their sons, sisters were waiting for their brothers’ and children were waiting for their fathers to arrive safe in the evening and can quench their thirst and hunger. They were squeezing till to see their family member alive after work. They were all poor and most of their male family members were taken by the Government to fight against Mujahidden (Govt. against party). All teen ages, having little beard were taken from houses by force against Mujahidden. Consequently, most of the families were hiding their male representatives when Government soldiers were searching males in a house or society. These males when captured by Government soldiers were then sent to other provinces of Afghanistan to fight with Govt. soldier against Mujahidden. Additionally, these Govt. soldiers were not behaving well too. They were beating people inside their houses and abusing them. This is considered the second and the most important factor of not getting education in Afghanistan.

All these issues compelled Afghan and started migration, as neither of the activity was supported by Afghans. Soon after Afghans started leaving the country. Those whose family members were in executive positions with the government could pass a better life and those who had good financial support, by sending their family member to other safe and protected countries of the world. Some Afghans who had field or land, started selling their fields and land or those having other type of business such as vehicle bargain, big company or were at good position in Government, took their families to other countries of the world. Those with good financial support took their families to European countries such as England, Italy, Holland, Germany, Denmark, and to America but these were a small number of families. Some families sent their family members through road transportation as they were sent illegally without getting visa. Many of them have lost their lives; some were lost on the way, others were gun down while crossing boarders of one country to get another. Most of them dive into the water while leaving Turkey to reach Europe by ship as this was the only way to get there from Turkey. These family members were gone through Iran, reaching Russia after crossing Kazakhstan. Some of them remain in Russia while other left as they couldn’t work there to earn money for their families. Those who were not satisfied with the Russian Government policy & environment because of earning less income or seeing that Afghans were not given freedom as compare to other countries, were passing to Turkey and then to other European countries where they can generate more income for their left families in Afghanistan to survive. On the other hand, most of the population migrated to Iran and Pakistan as these two countries are the neighboring Islamic Countries and moreover, it was too cheap to travel to. Pakistan is situated in the east and Iran in the west. Most of the populations who couldn’t tolerate fighting inside Afghanistan were in these two countries. Those who went to Pakistan had a great ambitious as the Government of Pakistan was dealing and having good behavior, attitude and good reputation with Afghans. Afghans were given opportunities to work and go to school. There were seats given to Afghans as a student in all level of education, including schools, colleges and universities. At least, there were two Afghan seats in each department of all Government colleges and universities through out the four provinces of Pakistan. Afghans were given the right of education. They were treated as a Guest. Younger males were given the opportunity to work and feed their families. Some Afghan had carts selling fresh fruits such as Apples, Mangoes, Grapes, Melons, Watermelons and vegetables while others had their own shops, selling different type of Pakistani and Chinese products.

In contrast, those who went to Iran were uneducated as Iran Government was not leaving an Afghan get education. Even they were not behaving as Pakistani brothers did. Children were kept in houses; younger remained in their works as prisoners. In short, as a neighboring country it didn’t perform its duty but instead they give us some bad habits. Those upon return from Iran were best drug specialist, knowing any type of drug and were good smokers.

Ten Habits that Demolish Your Mind

1. Not Eating
Our brain cells needs sugar for its functioning but when we are not eating the sugar level comes down and the cell gets destroyed which affects our brain. At least, we should quench our thirst and hunger when appropriate.

2. Surplus Eating
When we are eating too much our blood becomes thick due to overload of food and it effects the blood circulations while blood passing through our veins and additionally affects the cerebral power too.

3. Smoking
While smoking the cells of brain are depressed and cause a disease too known as Alzimare

4. Overindulgence of Sweets
Eating too much sweet, (to be greedy to eat sweets) gives us more protein and if a person is doing so will be effected.

5. Polluted weather
Most of oxygen in a human body is absorb by brain when the weather is polluted less oxygen will be taken inside and thus, will distress brain cells

6. Not sleeping or less sleeping
Sleeping at least 6 hours in 24 hours is good. On the other hands, if we are not sleeping or less sleeping then six hours, brain cells will be suffering hard and will be destroyed too.

7. Covering face with quilt while sleeping
Most of us when we are sleeping due to cold weather we are covering our face with blanket, coverlet or quilts which decreasing the quantity of oxygen as we are inhaling O2 and exhaling carbon di oxide.

8. Working while we are not in good health
During sickness or having any type of pain in our body we should avoid working including studying or reading something, this puts pressure on our brain cells as it works harder compare to normal stage and will have negative consequence on our brain.

9. Not Thinking
When we are thinking it has a positive influence as new cells will be produced and it works for the betterment/progress of the brain but when we are not thinking there won’t be any progress in creation of new cells.


10. Less talking
Talking about new ideas something new, about anything enlightening or any progress type of activity is good while excess talking which is meaningless should be prevented.

My first post

This is my first post on this weblog, I will write about everything here for my friends, thus gerenal information will be posted to those who would like to follow and read my scrap writings.

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All the best!