Exiled Ashraf Ghani says supports Taliban-Karzai talks

Published August 18, 2021
Ashraf Ghani issued his video message from exile in the United Arab Emirates. — Facebook screengrab
Ashraf Ghani issued his video message from exile in the United Arab Emirates. — Facebook screengrab

Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president who fled the country for the United Arab Emirates following a Taliban takeover, said on Wednesday that he hoped to return home, and that he supported talks between the Taliban and top former officials.

“For now, I am in the Emirates so that bloodshed and chaos is stopped,” he said in a video message — his first appearance since leaving the capital on Sunday. He noted he had “no intention” to remain in exile.

“I am currently in talks to return to Afghanistan.”

The UAE announced earlier in the day that it was hosting Ghani “on humanitarian grounds”.

In his message posted to Facebook, Ghani said he supported talks between the Taliban and top former government officials, after it emerged that Taliban members had met with former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who headed the failed peace process.

Taliban leaders have said they have “pardoned all former government officials”, according to the monitoring group SITE.

Ghani succeeded Karzai as leader of Afghanistan in 2014.

In his message, Ghani said he had left Kabul to prevent bloodshed and denied reports he took large sums of money with him as he departed the presidential palace.

Ghani has been bitterly criticised by former ministers for leaving the country suddenly as Taliban forces entered Kabul on Sunday.

“If I had stayed, I would be witnessing bloodshed in Kabul,” he said, adding that he had left on the advice of government officials.

Opinion

Editorial

IMF scrutiny
11 Feb, 2025

IMF scrutiny

THE technical IMF mission, which is taking stock of Pakistan’s economic governance structure and its vulnerability...
Shadow voices
11 Feb, 2025

Shadow voices

OVER the weekend, another ‘open letter’ addressed to the army chief and attributed to former prime minister ...
Paradise at a premium
11 Feb, 2025

Paradise at a premium

PAKISTAN’S recent triumph at the New York Travel and Adventure Show 2025, winning the Best Partner Pavilion Award,...
A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...