US Diplomat says Ashraf Ghani's escape ruined last-minute deal with Taliban in Afghanistan

A month after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, United States Special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad has issued a big statement on former President Ashraf Ghani. As the Taliban approached the gates of Kabul, Ghani had fled from the country and said that he did so to 'prevent further bloodshed'. However, contrary to his statement, Khalilzad on Thursday said that Ghani's escape from Afghanistan ruined a last-minute deal with the Taliban.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Khalilzad revealed that Ghani was supposed to remain as the President of Afghanistan until there was a political settlement in Qatar, even as the insurgent group stood at Kabul's doors. In addition, he also stated that the plan was to keep Kabul out of the Taliban's hands and negotiate a political transition. However, Ghani's escape triggered a power vacuum and the Taliban entered the city, Financial Times quoted Khalilzad. Apparently, he maintained that an agreement was in place with the Taliban wherein they will not enter Kabul. 

"Even at the end, we had an agreement with the Talibs for [them] not to enter Kabul," Khalilzad said.

According to Zalmay Khalilzad, Ghani's fleeing caused the Kabul security personnel to abandon their posts and resulted in the Taliban entering the city to take over its security, as per Tolo News. 

Taliban announces 'government' 

On September 7, the Taliban announced the formation of the 'Government of Islamic Emirate'. While Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund is inducted as Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister and Head of State, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mawlavi Hanafi have been named as the Deputy Prime Ministers. Meanwhile, US-designated terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani has been appointed as the Interior Minister in Afghanistan. Sirajuddin Haqqani is the son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, who founded the terrorist organisation- Haqqani Network. Additionally, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaghoub Mojahed is the acting Minister of Defence and Alhaj Mullah Sirajuddin Haqqani is appointed as the acting Minister of Interior. Notably, Mullah Abdul Haq Akhand has been named as the Deputy Minister of Interior in the fight against drugs.

Taliban takes over Afghanistan

The Taliban took over Kabul on August 15 after major cities like Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah fell without resistance. This was followed by a withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from war-torn Afghanistan. As the Taliban breached Kabul, Ashraf Ghani, the democratically elected President, fled the country with other officials. Soon after the terrorist group took over Kabul, chaos erupted as thousands have swarmed Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport in a bid to flee the Taliban's rule. US President Joe Biden has repeatedly defended his decision of withdrawing troops from the war-torn country. 

With ANI inputs