Fatima Gailani is the daughter of the late Ahmed Gailani, leader of one of the mujahideen resistance groups that fought the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. She was their international spokesperson throughout the 1980s and 90s. As a women’s rights campaigner, she helped draft the Afghan constitution for the interim government in 2001 following the American-led invasion. Gailani was also head of the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society between 2004-2016.
In Doha, you spent 12 months negotiating with the Taliban. Were you surprised by the speed with which they took over the country in August last year?
