WASHINGTON DC: Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprits who killed Nasrat Ahmad Yar, a former interpreter who fled Afghanistan and worked as a ride-share driver in America.
Nasrat Ahmad Yar, an Afghan who spent most of his adult life serving with the US military in Afghanistan, was shot dead in Washington, according to officials. Ahmad Yar, who fled to the United States in quest of a better life for himself and his family, was a ride-sharing driver. Worried about not being able to pay his rent, he went out driving Monday night.
Although no suspects have been caught, surveillance video grabbed the sound of a single gunshot and four young men rushing away. A $25,000 reward has been offered by police for information leading to an arrest. Rahim Amini, an Afghan immigrant, and close friend, described him as “generous and nice.” He was continuously trying to help others.
Jeramie Malone, an American who met Ahmad Yar through her volunteer work with a veteran-founded organization that rescues former Afghan interpreters, was likewise touched by his generosity. He always wanted to give more than he received, she remarked, and he was just really, really nice. She went on to say that in America, all he wanted was a chance.
Amini said Ahmad Yar had worked with the US troops as an interpreter and in other roles for about a decade, seeing it as a means to help prepare the path for the next generation in Afghanistan to have a better life. While the United States has had a Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghans who have worked closely with the US government to come to America since 2009, Amini said his friend did not want to apply immediately, preferring to remain in Afghanistan, where he felt needed.
Ahmad Yar and his family traveled to the northwestern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where they were able to get on a flight to the United Arab Emirates and later to America. Even when he was laying low in Mazar-e-Sharif, Maline recalled, Nasrat would go out of his way to help other Afghans fleeing the country, introducing them on arrival, bringing their families to stay with him, and feeding them all while they waited for flights out.
Since Yar’s death, condolences and donations for his children and wife have poured in through GoFundMe and Facebook fundraisers. Afghan families experience a lot of hardship even when they arrive in the United States, between learning a new language, finding work, and dealing with government bureaucracy to file immigration papers. To make ends meet, many of the men work for Lyft or Uber. On Saturday, Ahmad Yar will be laid to rest.
