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Updated September 12th, 2021 at 10:45 IST

Afghan Air Force pilots who fled Taliban to Uzbekistan to be transferred to Doha's US base

Afghan Air Force pilots who fled to Uzbekistan are expected to be transferred to the US base in Doha. They will be prepared for onward travel by end of the week

Reported by: Dipaneeta Das
Afghan Air Force
IMAGE: AP(representative) | Image:self
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Under the new agreement between the US and the Uzbekistan government, Afghan Air Force pilots who fled to the central Asian country are expected to be transferred to the US base in Doha. The pilots will be prepared for onward travel by the end of this week, ANI reported citing Wall Street Journal. The military pilots fled to Uzbekistan fearing Taliban executions even though the group has promised amnesty to government officials and members of the armed forces.

"Through a lot of diligent work, we are hopeful that the pilot on military personnel, including the husband (of) one of my constituents, are going to get out of Uzbekistan this weekend," Republican Representative for Texas August Pfluger told The Wall Street Journal.

However, questions over the final movement of the pilots from the Doha base are still uncertain. However, Pfluger added that the transfer process was "accomplished through constant work to hold the Biden administration's feet to the fire." Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has requested the pilots to return to Afghanistan "as the country needs its people to rebuild itself."

The pilots reached Uzbekistan last month along with their families. Following this, Uzbekistan requested help from the US to resolve the refugee crisis in order to refrain from souring relations with its neighbour. According to ANI, currently, 46 aircraft flew over Afghanistan into Uzbekistan with members of the Air Force pilots, military personnel, and their families, taking the total tally to some 585 people.

Taliban's swift annexation following the US pullout

The Taliban swept major major territories across Afghanistan weeks before US and Allied troops made the final exit from the war-torn nation. By July 26, the rogue militant group overtook one-third of the country's 421 districts including key border points with Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan. On August 15, the Taliban finally captured the Afghan capital within weeks following the US withdrawal. Following the capture, Former President Ashraf Ghani fled the country to take refuge in Tajikistan. On September 8, the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid finally announced the interim government after three failed attempts of forming an "all-inclusive" lawmaking body.

Taliban forms all-male interim government

On Tuesday, the Taliban announced its all-male interim government to formulate lawmaking decisions in Afghanistan. The body included veterans from the 1990-2001 regime of the Taliban government in the Islamic Emirate, along with Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is on the FBI's most-wanted list, the Associated Press reported. The decision came after videos of the Taliban soldiers smashing women protestors and journalists in the streets of Kabul went viral on the internet. The government body has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, who have refused to recognise the Taliban. This could lead to the withdrawal of funds and support amidst the economic meltdown in the country.

Afghanistan on the brink of universal poverty: UNDP

Owing to the current economic instability in Afghanistan, 97 percent of the country could plummet into serious poverty by the mid of 2022, warned a study conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Currently, the country is dwindling on the "brink of universal poverty", the UNDP said in a statement. Further, it called for an immediate need for an economic response program to counter the ongoing crisis in the war-torn nation.

The study published by the UNDP analysed as many as four political scenarios of "escalating intensity and isolation" that indicated the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contraction by 13.2%. The estimated percentage hinted that at the current rate the poverty graph would rise by at least 25%. The UNDP report also stressed the need for urgent humanitarian aid to restore normalcy after the "catastrophic deterioration in the lives of Afghanistan's most vulnerable populations".

With inputs from AP

Image: AP (representative)

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Published September 12th, 2021 at 10:45 IST

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