Afghanistan president, Ashraf Ghani, has resurfaced in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he has been received on “humanitarian grounds”.
Recall that Ghani had fled Kabul, the country’s capital, last Sunday after Taliban fighters surrounded the city.
In a Facebook post after his departure, Ghani said he believed “countless patriots would be martyred and the city of Kabul would be destroyed” if he had stayed behind.
According to a statement issued by the UAE foreign ministry on Wednesday, the Afghanistan president and his family were “welcomed” 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 statement reads.
On Tuesday, Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, had assured the international community of the militant group’s commitment to the rights of women under Islamic law and that they will be allowed to work and study “within our framework”.
“We have pardoned all those who have fought against us. Animosities have come to an end. We don’t want any external or internal enemies,” Mujahid had said.
Meanwhile, at least three people were killed and several injured, on Wednesday, after Taliban fighters dispersed protesters in Jalalabad.
Many people had gathered in the city square to raise the country’s national flag, a day before Afghanistan’s Independence Day, Reuters reports.
The protesters lowered the Taliban flag that was mounted in the areas they have captured.
In spite of the fatalities recorded during the protest, a Taliban official was quoted as saying “we have no intention to injure anyone”.
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