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Panic grips Afghanistan as Taliban seizes control: What's next for the country
The stunning military takeover has triggered a massive panic across the capital with thousands of Afghans swarming to the airport in a desperate attempt to flee the country, fearing a repeat of the Taliban's brutal Islamist rule from 1996 to 2001.
Afghanistan is in a state of disarray as the Taliban seized control of the country at a lightning speed following the pullout of troops by the United States and Nato. Within weeks, the Taliban swept from province to province until the group reached the presidential palace on Sunday, seizing power in the war-torn country.
The stunning military takeover has triggered a massive panic across the capital with thousands of Afghans swarming to the airport in a desperate attempt to flee the country, fearing a repeat of the Taliban's brutal Islamist rule from 1996 to 2001.
On Monday, dramatic footage posted on social media showed hundreds of men running alongside a US air force plane as it rolled down the runway, with some clinging to the side of it. In other videos, civilians frantically clambered up an already overcrowded and buckling jetway.
President Ashraf Ghani fled as the Taliban reached Kabul on Sunday. Ghani left Afghanistan with the chief of staff, national security advisor and his family, as many on social media called him a coward and said they felt betrayed. However, Ghani said that he left to avoid further "bloodshed" in Afghanistan. As of now, it's not clear where he went.
What is next for the war-torn country?
The US and international community are piling pressure on the Taliban to reach some kind of deal with the Afghan government. This will likely lead to Ghani stepping down from his post or he will be moved to a figurehead role.
The Taliban now control most of Afghanistan’s border crossings, which denies revenue for the government and enables the Taliban to tax trade to fund their fighting.
The Taliban might also permit groups like al Qaeda to train and operate from there, which is likely to make the country hotbed of terrorist activities.
Controlling the customs posts and border crossings (aside from Kabul airport) and with the Afghan military collapsing, the Taliban hold the cards. Russia and China will be comfortable engaging with the group’s leaders, according to experts.
An exodus of people from Afghanistan could include terrorists and Uyghur separatists, worrying the neighbouring countries including Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the northern side.
(With agency inputs)
