 Dostum then left Kabul for his northern stronghold Mazar-i-Sharif, where he ruled, in effect, an independent region (or 'proto-state'), often referred as the Northern Autonomous Zone.He printed his own Afghan currency, ran a small airline named Balkh Air, and formed relations with countries like Uzbekistan.While the rest of the country was in chaos, his region remained prosperous and functional, and it won him the support from people of all ethnic groups.