Taliban Government Formation in Shambles; Ex-President Hamid Karzai Under House Arrest

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who leads the High Council for National Reconciliation, are effectively under house arrest in Kabul without their bodyguards and at the mercy of the Taliban, reported CNN.

On Monday, the Taliban confiscated weapons from Karzai's armed protection team and took away his vehicles, prompting the former president to move in with Abdullah, a source told CNN. On Wednesday, the Taliban also searched Abdullah's home and took his security and vehicles.

Following the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, on August 17, leader of the Taliban-affiliated Hezb-e-Islami party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar met with both Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah seeking to form an interim government with the Taliban.

Earlier this week, the Taliban included Karzai, Abdullah and the Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar in its 12-member council that would govern Afghanistan.

Last week, a Taliban spokesman told CNN that the group wanted to form an inclusive government. It has since held talks with Karzai and Abdullah, both of whom stayed in Kabul when the Taliban took over the capital more than a week ago.

Abdullah previously said he was hopeful for the Taliban forming an inclusive government, the source told CNN. However, he is less optimistic than he was last week, when he expressed his hope that the Taliban would form a totalitarian government, reports say.

More details of the house arrest are awaited. However, on August 25, Abdullah conveyed that he and Karzai met the representatives of women organizations. His tweet read, "Along with HE @KarzaiH, we met the representatives of women organisations, & networks. We discussed the current developments, & emphasised on the role of women in future of the country."