Just as much speculation was rife over the present location of President Ashraf Ghani after he fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in UAE has confirmed that he and his family have been welcomed in the Arab country on humanitarian grounds.
“The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Right after the Taliban stormed into Kabul, reports broke that the President had fled the country to Tajiskistan while some reports claimed Uzbekistan. The Russian Embassy in Kabul had said that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash.
Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA: “Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac.”
Afghanistan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi had in a tweet lamented in an apparent reference to Ghani and his associates that they “tied our hands behind our backs and sold the homeland, damn the rich man and his gang”.
It was just yesterday that Afghanistan’s first Vice President Amrullah Saleh announced that he is in the country and is the “legitimate caretaker President”. It was being speculated that too had fled with Ghani.
Saleh tweeted, “Clarity: As per d constitution of Afg, in absence, escape, resignation or death of the President the FVP becomes the caretaker President. I am currently inside my country & am the legitimate caretaker President. Am reaching out to all leaders to secure their support & consensus,” Saleh said in a tweet.
“In my soil. With d people. For a cause & purpose. With a solid belief in righteousness. Opposing Pak backed oppression & brutal dictatorship is our legitimacy,”.
…With IANS inputs