i spoke earlier with pashtana durrani. she fled her home in kandahar when the taliban took control nearly two weeks ago. she is now in hiding and we are not disclosing her current location for her safety. >> take me back. it has been a week since the taliban took over kabul. what was that moment like for you when you saw that happening? pashtana durrani: i mean like taking kabul was something that i already, it was like, you know, in the back of your mind, you know, that it's going to happen the minute they take kandahar it's for sure the history has proven back in time again and again the minute they take over kandahar, they take over kabul. it's just a matter of days in this situation. it was just a matter of hours. so when they took over kandahar, i was pretty much sure that afghanistan is gone. and we probably have to get ready for all these things. and i'm going to be honest, it was an emotional three days for me. i think i cried my eyes out for a majority of my interviews. i had very puffy because i kept on crying. a

it's my country. >> nawaz: pashtana durrani, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us, andlease stay safe. >> thank you for having me. thank you. >> nawaz: in the day's other news, u.s. public health leaders urged businesses and governments to impose vaccination mandates. they pointed to the f.d.a.'s fully approving thpfizer vaccine. white house covid coordinator jeffrey zients said people who've resisted the shots no longer have an excuse, and employers have no more reason to delay. >> if you're a business, a non- profit, a state or local leader who has been waiting for full and final f.d.a. approval before you put vaccination requirements in place, now is the time. you have the power to protect your communities and help end the pandemic through vaccination requirements. >> nawaz: covid infections and deaths in the u.s. have continued to rise since last week, despite a rise in vaccinations. in tokyo, the paralympics opened amid the pandemic's worst surge yet in japan. ceremonies featured a nighttime fireworks display in a nearly- empty stadium, due to pandemic restrictions

pashtana durrani worked to educate girls in kandahar. she fled before it was captured. be very honest — i don't see any future. i don't have any hope. i'm furious, i'm sad, i'm... i'm lost and it'sjust a lot of emotions. how do you feel about the us and uk sending in troops to evacuate their own nationals? i was never against withdrawal. withdrawal was never a problem. it's not that a few thousand of their troops would have defended the whole country. it's them legitimising the deal. it's them legitimising the taliban, that's the problem. hours before kandahar, herat was also captured — a major trade centre close to the border with iran. in the weeks leading up to the fall, influential pro—government leader ismail khan had led the battle against the taliban. now he's been captured by the insurgent group. helmand province, where british troops fought some of their fiercest battles, is also under taliban control. 15 provinces falling in seven days have raised questions about the future of the afghan capital kabul. what's happened here injust the span ofjust a week has tak

. >> reporter: pashtana durrani was helping educate girls in kandahar, until the taliban seized the southern city last week, sending her into hiding. what do you think would happen the you if the taliban find you now? >> i don't know. >> reporter: they could do something to you. >> they find me, they make me suffer, one day, two day, three day, i'm going to die -- >> reporter: a girl lost her leg in a taliban attack on her village. when we asked what frightened her most, she told us not being allowed to go back to school to become a doctor. women and girls aren't the only ones at risk.women and girls arh afghans who worked for americans or the afghan government also fear for their safety. one man called us in the middle of the night terrified, begging for help. norah. >> o'donnell: roxana saberi, thank you. president biden is the fourth to oversee the war in afghanistan as commander-in-chief and in his remarks he vowed not to turn the fight over to a fifth. the president said today staying in afghanistan is not in america's national security interests. the mission is to prevent another attac

pashtana durrani worked to educate girls in kandahar. she fled before it was captured.'m furious, i'm sad, i'm... i'm lost and it'sjust a lot of emotions. how do you feel about the us and uk sending in troops to evacuate their own nationals? i was never against withdrawal. withdrawal was never a problem. it's not that a few thousand of their troops would have defended the whole country. it's them legitimising the deal. it's them legitimising the taliban, that's the problem. hours before kandahar, herat was also captured — a major trade centre close to the border with iran. in the weeks leading up to the fall, influential pro—government leader ismail khan had led the battle against the taliban. now he's been captured by the insurgent group. helmand province, where british troops fought some of their fiercest battles, is also under taliban control. 15 provinces falling in seven days have raised questions about the future of the afghan capital, kabul. what's happened here injust the span ofjust a week has taken people here, the government and its international partners by

an activist for girls' education, pashtana durrani, said the taliban needs to take more concrete steps. >> the taliban shoulgive a statement out that all the girls should be going to public schools and not target them or stop them into continue the way they are studying. if they are ok with that, then i'm optimistic. but they have to walk the talk and right now they are not doing that. amy: top taliban leader and co-founder mullah abdul ghani baradar returned to afghanistan for the first time since 2001 on tuesday. the pentagon is investigating after human remains were found in the wheel of one of its military jets that left kabul monday amid the chaos of the taliban takeover. this comes as the u.s. and other countries continue evacuating their own citizens. the white house said tuesday at least 11,000 americans were awaiting evacuation. calls are growing for the u.s. to accept more afghan refugees. meanwhile, "the washington post" is reporting the biden administration has frozen billions of dollars in afghan reserves held at u.s. banks to cut off the taliban's cash flow. several top d

like 23-year-old pashtana durrani. she is the executive director of learn.ofit working to expand access to girls' education in the country. she's now in hiding. >> it's very important to live, to fight for their rights to us for their rights because it's time that people fight back. not every person can leave. not every person has the privilege to leave, right? >> reporter: pashtana says she is trying to enroll as many girls as possible on digital-learning programs before things get worse. but she's not giving up. >> and right now, we fight back. we ask for our rights. >> reporter: only time will tell what the future looks like. but the wellbeing of afghan women will be the surest sign of whether the taliban has changed its ways, so the stakes could not be higher. anna coren, cnn. >> thanks to anna for that piece. >>> now, amid all of this chaos, there was a moment of joy and celebration aboard one evacuation flight from afghanistan. take a look at these images. the crew of a turkish airlines flight helped to deliver a baby girl at 30,000 feet on saturday. t

pashtana durrani, thank you so much. we'll be right back. front desk. yes, hello... i'm so...ou. ♪ all by yourself. ♪ go with us and find millions of flexible options. all in our app. expedia. it matters who you travel with. this is andy, my schwab financial consultant. here's andy listening to my goals and making plans. this is us talking tax-smart investing, managing risk, and all the ways schwab can help me invest. this is andy reminding me how i can keep my investing costs low and that there's no fee to work with him. here's me learning about schwab's satisfaction guarantee. accountability, i like it. so, yeah. andy and i made a good plan. find your own andy at schwab. a modern approach to wealth management. ♪ born to be wild ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ born to be wild ♪ see disney's jungle cruise. applebee's and a movie, now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood. millions of vulnerable americans struggle to get reliable transportation to their medical appointments. that's why i started medhaul. citi launched the impact fund to invest in both women and entrepreneurs of color like me, so i ca

. >> joining me now is pashtana durrani.ecutive director of learn, a nonprofit focusing on girls' education. it's good to see you again. i'm sorry about the circumstances. the taliban say they will respect the rights of women and girls can go to school. that is open to massive interpretation, which rights of course. what is your expectation and your fear? >> thank you for having me. i -- first of all, i want to highlight the fact that i'm not afraid. i'm not afraid for the fact that i'm educated. i know my rights, even if it's not in their dictionary, there are rights for women and for girls and for afghanistan. the second thing is the thing that get me worried and things that i'm expecting right now is for them to accept that general education matters, girls getting into school, studying up until grade 12 and then pursuing a professional education is important and should be accepted and should have been something that should have been acceptable now and in the past. these are the expectations i have, and we have to push for

joining me now is pashtana durrani.on in afghanistan. i wonder if you could explain to our viewers why your location a secret. i am in hiding. tell viewers why your location a secret. i am in hiding-— i am in hiding. tell us why you are in hidina. iam hearing i am hearing every other word that you are saying to us but we will persist and try and sort out the sound if we can. tell us, describe how you are feeling waking up today with the taliban in control of your country. with the taliban in control of your count . ., , ., , country. for starters, i did feel hoeless country. for starters, i did feel hopeless because _ country. for starters, i did feel hopeless because there - country. for starters, i did feel hopeless because there are i country. for starters, i did feel hopeless because there are a l country. for starters, i did feel. hopeless because there are a lot country. for starters, i did feel- hopeless because there are a lot of things that we have worked for in the past 20 years that needs surety today. but ap

pashtana durrani is the founder and director of learn, a nonprofit she created to ensure women and girlsss to education in afghanistan. pashtana fled her home in kandahar when the taliban took control. the bbc is not giving her current location for her safety. it has been a number of days since we last spoke to you. how are you? it is an emotional time for us because every two minutes there is a new tragedy and we have not processed the last one and there is another one. it is a roller—coaster of emotions right now. i another one. it is a roller-coaster of emotions right now.— another one. it is a roller-coaster of emotions right now. i am guessing ou will be of emotions right now. i am guessing you will be getting — of emotions right now. i am guessing you will be getting contact _ of emotions right now. i am guessing you will be getting contact from - you will be getting contact from people who are still trying to leave the country. people who are still trying to leave the country-— people who are still trying to leave the country. definitely. i have been in touch with _ the country. d

we're joined now by pashtana durrani, from the education charity learn afghanistan.ts. that process, as you can see, has led to many, many thousands of people simply arriving at the airport and trying to get on the aircraft. at the airport and trying to get on the aircraft-— the aircraft. let's speak to our ruest the aircraft. let's speak to our guest from — the aircraft. let's speak to our guest from the _ the aircraft. let's speak to our guest from the education i the aircraft. let's speak to our. guest from the education charity learn afghanistan. thank you for joining us. it is a very difficult situation. we can see what is unfolding. tell us what the situation is like for you? thanks for -- thank _ situation is like for you? thanks for -- thank you _ situation is like for you? thanks for -- thank you for— situation is like for you? thanks for -- thank you for having i situation is like for you? thanks for -- thank you for having me. | for —— thank you for having me. people — for —— thank you for having me. people and _ for —— thank you for having me. people and