Exiled Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has finally settled in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to local media reports. Ghani, who fled Kabul hours before the Taliban took siege of the capital, was earlier supposed to go to Oman via Tajikistan. However, his aircraft was reportedly not allowed to land in Tajikistan.
According to a report in Kabul News, Ghani after negotiations managed to enter UAE on Wednesday morning and is now there. Speculation was rife that the former Afghan President would try and take refuge in the United States but as of now he is in the Middle East nation with not too many options left with him.
Finally a Shelter
Ghani has finally managed to reach Abu Dhabi and has settled there, according to Kabul News. The outlet in a series of tweets confirmed on Wednesday morning that Ghani has settled in the capital of UAE after a long negotiation.
Earlier sources had claimed that the former President could have gone to neighboring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, but there was no official confirmation of his whereabouts since the Taliban takeover on August 15. Tajikistan was expected to give asylum to Ghani but it's not known why he was refused.
Ghani fled Kabul on Sunday just hours before the Taliban captured the Presidential palace. His decision has seen drawn criticism from many including the Afghans, whose future now hangs in uncertainty. However, Ghani defended his action, saying that he had no other choice. Penning the post from Tajikistan on Facebook, the 72-year-old wrote that he would continue to serve Afghanistan and would contribute a development plan for the country's future.
Uncertain Future
Much like the future of millions of Afghans, Ghani's fate too is uncertain. It now needs to be seen if he plans to move to the United States from the UAE. On the other hand, many are now seeing Ghani as a villain following claims by the Russian embassy in Kabul that he fled in four cars and a helicopter stuffed with cash.
Russian embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko said that the " collapse of the regime ... is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac."
Following Ghani's exit from Kabul, defense minister Bismillah Mohammadi lashed out at the leader in a tweet saying "they tied our hands behind our backs and sold the homeland, damn the rich man and his gang."
On the other hand, Vice President Amrullah Saleh has declared himself as caretaker President of Afghanistan
