An Afghan national who helped New Zealand forces and is now on the Taliban’s hit list has reportedly escaped to temporary safety with his wife and 3-month-old daughter.

Shaib Mohammad provided personal security for engineers in Afghanistan working for the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team, a military deployment sent to support stability and reconstruction efforts.

Duane Wilkins worked in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010 and was one of the engineers protected by Mohammad and others.

Wilkins said on Friday he feared the worst for Mohammad after last speaking to him while the Taliban was standing outside his house not far from the Kabul International Airport.

The Taliban seized control of the country earlier this month, and is now targeting Afghans who worked for foreign governments.

Wilkins said Mohammad, with whom he became friends shortly after arriving in Afghanistan, had indicated on Friday he was preparing for his “last stand”, equipped with knives, guns, and a bullet-proof vest.

But after a nervous couple of days, Wilkins said he had made contact with Mohammad on Sunday afternoon (New Zealand time), via a scratchy Facebook Messenger feed.

He said Mohammad and his family had managed to escape their flat after dark on Friday, and were now “hunkering down” at a family friend’s house about 30 kilometres’ walk from the airport.

“At night, the Taliban must have gone off for something else, and so they slipped out,” Wilkins said.

But Mohammad’s perilous situation has led to renewed calls from Wilkins and other former New Zealand personnel in Afghanistan to loosen the rules around resettling Afghan allies here.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is processing resettlement applications for Afghan nationals who worked for the New Zealand Defence Force or other government agencies in Afghanistan.

READ MORE

• NZ Defence Force captain in charge of Afghanistan evacuation speaks about mission for the first time
• US hits Islamic State with another drone strike, kills suspected suicide bomber
• ‘Total betrayal’: Afghan interpreters shocked as New Zealand ends Kabul evacuation
• NZ 'has a moral obligation' to stay involved in Afghanistan crisis - defence expert

However, because Mohammad was working for a United States-based security agency, and not directly for the New Zealand government, he is not eligible for resettlement.

“I understand you need to have criteria, but when you look at the risks that these guys took for us, we have a moral obligation to provide whatever support is practicable,” Wilkins said.

New Zealand ended its effort last week to evacuate New Zealanders, their families and Afghan allies after a suicide bomber attacked the Kabul airport.

A spokesman for MFAT said the Government’s primary focus following the Taliban takeover had always been to evacuate New Zealanders and their families, and resettle Afghan nationals who assisted the Defence Force or other government agencies.

“This is in line with the resettlement offer provided in 2012 where individuals who assisted the New Zealand Defence Force were also able to bring their immediate family,” the spokesperson said.

“We are planning, and discussing with partners, potential next steps now the air bridge out of Kabul has closed.”

Wilkins said he had been contacted over the weekend by several former aid and Defence Force workers also wanting to help Afghan allies with whom they had connections.

He had also heard directly from five Afghan nationals desperate for help.

Wilkins said escape from Afghanistan would be dangerous for Mohammad and his family.

“He has no idea what to do next.”