Midwife Shagufta Dastaqgir also tried, and failed, to flee. She, too, says she has lost faith in the West's commitment to help Afghanistan and is heading back home.
In recent days the group has vowed to respect people's rights and allow women to work within the framework of sharia, but what that means in practice is still not clear. She was speaking hours before the bomb attack. The prospect of an ultra-radical offshoot of Islamic State disrupting the Taliban's attempts to rule has only heightened the sense of foreboding in Afghanistan.
"Not a single person tried to stop any foreigner ... I have all the legal documents to travel out, and why is America stopping me from getting out? Who are they to stop anyone?" Having lost hope of leaving Afghanistan by the end of August, Tabriq has made up her mind to stay. Others are waiting for a better opportunity to leave the country if the chaos subsides.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the NGO's offices were closed, and, as Dastaqgir continued to work on a small number of projects she went on receiving her salary. The road trip was fraught with risk, with Taliban roadblocks stopping her vehicle every few miles and the security situation across the north in a state of flux.