The Afghanistan Project Podcast
Mashal Sherullah on supporting Afghan allies in Pakistan - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep 147
Welcome to Episode 147 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, I am joined by Mashal Sherullah, who has spent years advocating for Afghan allies awaiting processing for the Special Immigrant Visa and U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in Pakistan. We discuss the plight of these Afghans who supported the U.S. mission and why it is imperative to resume processing and protections for these vital allies.About Mashal Sherullah: is Mashal Sherullah is a former USAID advisor and advocates for Afghan allies who worked with the American military. He spent 16 years working at the intersection of humanitarian response, donor relations, and international development. As a Senior Public Administration Advisor, Mashal worked alongside U.S. personnel to strengthen governance, promote community collaboration, and directly support the U.S. mission—especially the development mission in Afghanistan—while also contributing to efforts that safeguarded American personnel. As a Provincial Public Administration Advisor for USAID’s ISLA program, Mashal led initiatives to strengthen public administration capacity in Laghman, Afghanistan. This included developing and implementing standard operating procedures within provincial government and provincial council offices, while regularly engaging with Afghan government counterparts at the provincial, district, and national levels, including the Independent Directorate of Local Governance in Kabul.While waiting to be evacuated to the U.S. after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Mashal observed the severe challenges faced by Afghan allies in the Special Immigrant Visa and U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, who faced prolonged delays and bureaucratic barriers.In response, he mobilized a network of over 1,500 allies and SIV, P1, and P2 applicants. His advocacy contributed to increased engagement with U.S. Embassy officials, helping raise awareness of urgent cases and systemic processing challenges.Mashal is currently pursuing an MBA in Healthcare Management, with a long-term goal of advancing into healthcare philanthropy and nonprofit leadership focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable populations.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
