Ashraf Ghani denies fleeing Afghanistan with cash; 'only my clothes; not even my books'

Afghanistan's deposed President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday shared a video addressing his nation and the world, the first since the Taliban gained control of Kabul. The longstanding war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Afghanistan's capital Kabul and entered the city and took over the presidential palace, but it turned out that Ashraf Ghani had fled some time before that, even though his other senior government officials, namely FVP Amrullah Saleh and Chairperson for National Reconciliation Dr Abdullah Abdullah are still in Afghanistan.

Addressing various developments including reports of fleeing from Afghanistan with four cars and a helicopter brimming with money, Ashraf Ghani issued a fervent denial and stated that he only left with his 'Salwar Kameez' and 'Waistcoat' and without even his prized books. 

"I had to leave Afghanistan without my books, who were my main assets. Some confidential docs unfortunately left at prez palace, they are in the hands of others, I left with nothing but Salwar Kameez and waistcoat, did not take anything with me. Those saying I went with money with me is completely baseless," said Ashraf Ghani in his address. 

'Kabul should not be turned into Syria': Ashraf Ghani

Ghani, in a video address in Pashto, reiterated why he left Kabul at a time when the Taliban's atrocities were at its peak. As per Ghani, he had left security in the hands of the country's forces, and that the Taliban had been searching for him.

"On Sunday I was following a routine schedule. I was working on law and order. My security officials warned me to keep away from the circumstances. My security forces took everything into their hand. Had I stayed In Kabul I would have witnessed bloodshed. Kabul should not turn into Yemen or Syria," said Ghani. 

Ashraf Ghani on government formation process in Afghanistan

Key political leaders such as Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah met Anas Haqqani on Wednesday. Former Afghanistan President Karzai has formed a Coordination Council along with High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan chairman Abdullah Abdullah and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. However, talks between the two sides were stuck owing to certain "unacceptable conditions" imposed by the Taliban.

On the ongoing talks over the new government process in Afghanistan, Ghani said, "I support the current negotiations happening under Dr. Abdullah, I thank the security forces. There was a failure on our parts."

Notably, former Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Tuesday has come forward to claim that he is the 'legitimate caretaker President' of Afghanistan. Taking to Twitter, Amrullah Saleh cited protocols mentioned in the Constitution of Afghanistan, as per which in case of absence, escape, resignation, or death of the serving President, the Former Vice President becomes the caretaker President. Saleh has issued a clarion call for a resistance against the Taliban.

The demand for Ashraf Ghani's arrest

Ghani's video message came on the same day that Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi urged Interpol on August 18 to arrest the former President of the country for “selling out the motherland” as the latter chose to flee the country amid the Taliban crisis.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Mohammadi said that the government official who chose to "sell out the motherland" should be “punished and arrested”, while adding the hashtag #InterpolArrestGhani. Earlier, the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan also requested Interpol to detain Ghani over embezzlement charges.

(Image Credits: AP/Unsplash)