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What lies ahead for Afghanistan as top leadership flees Kabul? 10 points
Taliban do not want to share power after its unopposed sweep in Afghanistan, reports said. A Taliban official said the Taliban will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul.
The top leadership of Afghanistan, including President Ashraf Ghani and people close to him, fled the country on Sunday a day after promising remobilisation of the army to save Kabul from the Taliban. After major provinces of the country fell in front of the insurgent group like a pack of cards, the Taliban on Sunday reached Kabul and by the night, the presidential palace was under Taliban authorities.
What lies ahead for Afghanistan
1. An interim setup is being negotiated. Reports said former interior minister Ali Ahmad Jalali may head the interim government.
2. But according to another report, the Taliban do not want any power-sharing after this unopposed sweep.
3. A Taliban official said they will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul.
4. Reports said Ashraf Ghani has handed the authority of solving the crisis to political leaders. A delegation of Younus Qanooni, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Mohammad Mohaqiq will travel to Doha on Monday for talks.
'Will not bow to Taliban', says Afghanistan vice president as Ashraf Ghani flees
5. After the negotiating parties reach an agreement, Ashraf Ghani will resign handing over the power to the transitional government. Many reports, however, claimed Ghani already resigned.
6. Kabul on Sunday was the centrestage of the major political power shift as foreign missions in the country pressed into action to evacuate their officials, citizens.
7. Several Afghan leaders arrived in Pakistan for a conference in the future of their nation. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been pitching for a compromise government having representatives of both the present Afghan government and the Taliban.
8. 'The world abandoned Afghans', is the emotion that echoed on social media as Kabul fought the crisis. Kabul was occupied by the Taliban when I left the city. I think there will be a new govt...Whatever has happened has happened because of Ashraf Ghani. He betrayed Afghanistan. People will not forgive him: Jamil Karzai, former MP and second cousin to former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said after reaching Delhi.
9. US Secretary of state Blinken said the US mission in Afghanistan has been successful. "The fact of the matter is this: We went to Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission in mind. That was to deal with the people that attacked us on 9/11. That mission has been successful," he told ABC.
10. Pakistan, accused of supporting the Taliban, said it is closely following the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. "We hope all Afghan sides will work together to resolve this internal political crisis," the Foreign Office said in a statement.
(With agency inputs)
