Kolkata: Slammed for fleeing the country like a coward leaving his countrymen at the mercy of the brutal Taliban following the insurgent group seizing control, former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani says he was all for peaceful transfer of power but “was forced to leave Afghanistan.”
Eventually he had to bid adieu to his country for the time being to avert bloodshed and in anticipation of being hanged by the Taliban.
According to him, he was advised by his security forces to move out of his motherland. However he says he is in negotiations to return.
Going live on Facebook from UAE which has granted him asylum after his escape from the Taliban clutches, Ghani says, “I still have a role to play in Afghan politics and its effort to achieve peace.”
Ghani also clarifies that he endorses former Chief Executive of the erstwhile government Abdullah Abdullah’s endeavour to come to an amicable understanding with the Taliban.
Refuting allegations by Russia that he fled Afghanistan with bags of money, Ghani adds he left without his main assets – his books. “I left with my salwar kameez and waistcoat,” Ghani says.
