Being the second-largest city of Afghanistan, Kandahar may slowly be getting back to its feet once again
If one drives without losing much time at border check posts, it is usually a five to six hour drive from Quetta to Kandahar.
I passed Chaman, the last frontier of Pakistan. As we crossed the tall Friendship Gateway, streams of Afghans made their way, or at least tried to, into Pakistan under the watchful eyes of Pakistani border guards. The purpose of the visit can range from a short trade trip, to meet relatives having migrated in the past, or a need for medical treatment in any hospital in Quetta or Karachi.
Past the border is Welsh, which in 1980 was just a rural community with a few shops and tea stalls. However, over the years it has expanded into a big market town and now sports smuggled and duty-free imported items, including a market for used and new auto parts. One could see hundreds of newly and used cars parked in the lots.
The road between Chaman and Kandahar (160km) is a major highway that was built by the Soviets in the 1960s. But over the years, due to war and lack of maintenance it is not in good shape. Still, a parallel new highway, financed by Asian Development Bank is rapidly under construction and is expected to be completed by August this year. The ADB has also financed the construction of the 500km highway between Kandahar and Kabul, originally built by the Soviets in the 1960s, the work on which is almost complete. Sure enough, the completion of the road work will shrink the time distance and facilitate traffic.
Along the highway, deserted villages dotted the landscape.Nonetheless, regular traffic on both sides of the highway streamed along. Majority of them were long vehicles, heavy trucks and taxis running between Kandahar and Chaman.
The extended turmoil in Afghanistan has forced a large section of the country’s population from villages to flee to Pakistan. On the way there is a village which once was known for its prosperous habitation, but the war has converted it into ruins. During the Taliban rule it was re-inhabited, but could not prosper afterwards. The village and others like it along the highway are now monitored by American troops. One can see them from a distance with their wide armoured tanks and flags on the proud Afghan soil, about which it is said that it can be rented out, but not bought.
American troops regularly patrol the highway. The Americans and other participating troops are based in the garrison in and around Kandahar airport. There are around 7,000 troops in the area, 5,500 of them are believed to be Americans supported by troops from other countries such as Romania and Italy. The Kandahar airport, 12 kilometres ahead of Kandahar city, has been re-built. The entrance and exit to the airport is controlled by the Americans. The road from the airport to the city, like all leading roads inside the city, has been nicely built within the last two years with the help of Japanese aid. Japan is Afghanistan’s leading donor after the UN, and a majority of contracts have been assigned to Indian firms. Americans are rebuilding the electricity system of the city.
Kandahar is one of the old towns of Afghanistan. It served as the capital of Ahmed Shah Abdali’s 47-year rule. Being known as the founder of modern Afghanistan, he loved the city and is buried in a vicinity known as the Ahmed Shah Baba Compound or Karka Sharif. His shrine is surrounded by tall shadowy trees and is flanked by another shrine in which is kept the sacred waistcoat of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which Ahmed Shah is believed to have brought to Kandahar. It is open to public only on Thursdays.
There is a huge mosque near the shrine where the big Friday congregation takes places. It was particularly so during the Taliban rule who made it mandatory for all serving men to rush to Friday prayers. The site is one of the places where one can see the true Afghan culture.
“The life here is more or less the same,” said a 70-year-old retired school teacher who is a frequent visitor to the place. Knowing about my arrival from Pakistan he immediately offered me a cup of tea as a token of hospitality. Like the rest of the country, tea is a popular drink in Kandahar. It is taken without milk, even in breakfasts.
We talked for about half-an-hour. He showed discontent about the situation Afghanistan has witnessed during the last two decades. To him, Afghanistan was a peaceful country and its traditional society did not pose any threat to regional peace until it became a scene of brutal bloc politics. The Saur Revolution (the month of April in which the PDPA seized power) and counter-revolution led the country to enormous miseries and destruction due to which Kandahar badly suffered. Many buildings of the city are still in a shambles due to war; the four-storied Qandahar Hotel in front of the Pakistani Consulate is one of them. Apart from Pakistan, India and Iran have also established their consulates in Kandahar.
Kandahar, whose population like many other cities in Afghanistan has shrunk over the years due to massive migration to Pakistan, is spread just over seven to nine square kilometres. The present population is around 200,000 and is divided into numerous tribes. The absolute majority of speak Pashto. Dari (a version of Persian) is also spoken. The streets are not crowded except in the slums in old Kandahar. The leading tribe is Durrani divided into Barakzai, Mohamadzai, Alokozai, Acajzai and Popalzai.
Khilji constitute a minor section of the population. The unity of tribes is essential to peace in the area. For centuries Kandahar has been a leading commercial city of Afghanistan. The population in large is poor but a section of them are very rich. They are merchants and deal in fruits, hide, tea, spices and cloth.
One can see a number of historical caves in the East of Kandahar. One of them known as Chil Zina (Forty-Step Stairs) and was renovated by the Mughal Emperor Babar who visited the site for hunting. It is in the mountain from where one can see the house of Taliban leader Mullah Umar, a Khilji, and it is here where he shifted and established his headquarters soon after Taliban established its rule in Kandahar in 1994.
Kandahar was a stronghold of Taliban and in some sense, still is. People in general speak high of the Taliban rule, a period that was marked by peace and tranquillity. The area, like many other villages/areas that were considered Taliban strongholds, were bombed by American’s during the invasion of 2001. Kandahar is still believed to harbour a large number of Taliban activists who disappeared into the general population.
Having spent a couple of days in the city, which once use to be the capital of the Durrani dynasty and was known for rich hospitality and outrageous resistance to foreign aggression, with a mixture of fear and joy, hope and despair, and trust and suspicion, I was back to Quetta.
Being the second-largest city of Afghanistan, Kandahar may slowly be getting back to its feet once again 
