By Lane Hartill, former English editor of Kabul Weekly
“Even though Fahim was only two years older than me, he felt like an elder statesman, a wise man. He had his opinions for sure, but he also had that rare combination of ambition, determination, and conviction. He would sit at his massive desk in Kabul Weekly, wreathed in cigarette smoke, and unleash his indignation about the corruption in the government while walking me through the finer points of Afghanistan’s history. But he also loved talking about more benign subjects like tennis, barf jangi, and, of course, his beloved Panjshir.
In early 2005, with a light snow falling, Fahim took me to his parents’ house in Panjshir. His mother made us a fantastic lunch. Afterward, we went outside and Fahim introduced me to palaghman – a wonderful Panjshiri slingshot that fascinated me. Fahim could fire a snowball with incredible velocity, and he showed me how to do the same.
I promised myself that one day I would return to Panjshir and travel the length of the valley, and maybe even find a horse and a guide to go up into the mountains and explore the Anjuman Pass. So Fahim Jan, inshallah, one day I will do this, and you will be right there beside me, guiding me as you always did.”
