Taliban leader Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani said the group forgave “everyone from our end; from the general to the common man” and they can return to the country, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Taliban have extended amnesty to ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghan former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, senior Taliban leader Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani said.
Speaking to Geo News on Sunday, Haqqani, a and Haqqani Network leader who has been put in charge of Kabul security, said: “We forgive Ashraf Ghani, Amrullah Saleh, and (Afghan Presidential Security Adviser) Hamdullah Mohib. We forgive everyone, starting from a general who fought against us to a common person.”
Haqqani added the group forgave “everyone from our end; from the general to the common man” and they can return to the country, Sputnik reported.
The enmity between the Taliban and the three officials was only on the basis of religion and “driven by the ambition to change the system,” he said, noting that “the system has now changed.”
Ashraf Ghani fled the country after Taliban terrorists entered Kabul. He is currently in the UAE. His vice-president – Amrullah Saleh has anointed himself as ‘legitimate caretaker President’ of Afghanistan and is reportedly in the Panjshir province.
On August 15, the Taliban entered the presidential palace in the Afghan capital on Sunday and declared its victory over the government after months of violence in Afghanistan.
Days after taking control of the country, the Taliban announced a “general amnesty” for all Afghan government officials and urged them to return to work, including women corresponding with Sharia law.
In his first comments after he left Afghanistan, Ghani, in a Facebook post, said on Sunday that he left the country in order to avoid “bloodshed” as Kabul fell to the Taliban and terrorists entered the Afghanistan presidential palace and vowed to return to Kabul.
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani has been put in charge of the security of Kabul. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Khalil al-Rahman Haqqani a global terrorist in February 2011, offering a USD 5 million reward for information leading to his capture. He’s also included on the United Nations terrorist list.
Many Afghans are skeptical that a leader of the Haqqani Network, known to be the most brutal and violent group associated with the Taliban, will bring security to Afghanistan after 40 years of war and violence – especially as reports of house-to-house searches and violence allegedly committed by the Taliban continue to pour in, including in Kabul.
‘Consequences’ if troop pullout extended
Taliban warned there would be “consequences” if the US and other allies extend their presence in Afghanistan beyond next week.
“If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations — the answer is no. Or there would be consequences,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News on Monday.
Staying beyond the agreed deadline would be “extending occupation”, he added.
New head for central bank
After the Taliban’s hostile takeover of Afghanistan, the terrorist group on Monday appointed Haji Mohammad Idris as the Acting Head of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), which is the central bank of the country.
Earlier, Idris was the Head of the Taliban economic commission and has been appointed for the position to facilitate the purpose of organising government institutions, banking issues and addressing the problems of the people, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
Meanwhile, people in Kabul are facing difficulties due to the closure of banks and the biggest money-changing market Sarai Shahzada, Khaama Press reported.
People in Kabul are facing difficulties due to the closure of banks and the biggest money-changing market Sarai Shahzada, Khaama Press reported.
Government officials and other private employees are also facing financial issues as the month is nearing to end and they have no clue about their salaries.
Closure of banks has hit the people most as despite having money in their bank accounts they cannot access that.
There has been no formal announcement about the opening of government banks while private banks have announced to remain closed indefinitely. (ANI)