Aryana escapes Afghanistan after Taliban takeover

On August 19, Afghanistan's biggest female pop star Aryana Sayeed confirmed her escape after the Taliban takeover of Kabul city.

"I'm well and alive and after a couple of unforgettable nights, I have reached Doha, Qatar and am awaiting my eventual flight back home to Istanbul," Sayeed told her 1.3 million 'Instagram' followers.

As women and girls plead for their livelihoods under strict Taliban rule, the 36-year-old pop star, who had recently starred as a judge on a singing competition show on Afghan television, told reporters that she had left via US cargo jet, reported 'New York Post'.

The singer is among the lucky few as expats from around the world struggle to find flights out of the country.

"In 2015, Aryana Sayeed 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. Now, all of those have turned into a dream," tweeted a human rights activist.

From Doha, she continued to Turkey where she resides full time with her husband Hasib Sayed, an Afghan music producer.

"After I get home and my mind and emotions return to normal from a world of disbelief and shock, I have many stories to share with you," she said in her emotional 'Instagram' message as per reported by 'New York Post'.