Afghanistan crisis — Ghani breaks silence, says left country to avoid bloodshed

Former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani released a video message on Wednesday from the United Arab Emirates, which earlier confirmed it was hosting him "on humanitarian grounds".

Before commencing his video message, Ghani stated he would discuss "recent happenings" in Afghanistan on his Facebook page. On the weekend, he had left the nation. 

Also read | Afghan envoy says Panjshir province can be anti-Taliban stronghold



The Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan on Wednesday rejected Taliban rule of his country and said hold-out Panjshir province, north of Kabul, would serve as a stronghold for resistance led by self-proclaimed acting president Amrullah Saleh.

Afghan First Vice-President Saleh said on Tuesday he was the "legitimate caretaker president" of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as Taliban insurgents took the capital Kabul. Saleh's whereabouts were unknown.

Panjshir was the home of the Northern Alliance anti-Taliban resistance in the 1990s and is still a hold-out province against Taliban rule.

Anti-Taliban protests in the eastern city of Jalalabad over the removal of the Afghan flag have now spread elsewhere in Afghanistan.

There were reports of hundreds of protesters taking to the streets over the same issue in Khost province.

Taliban commanders and soldiers were firing into the air on Wednesday to disperse crowds at Kabul airport, a Taliban official said.

“We have no intention to injure anyone,” he told Reuters.

Massive chaos continued outside the airport, the official said, adding that the Western forces’ “chaotic evacuation plan” from Afghanistan was to blame.

The great majority of people attempting to leave Afghanistan are women and children, according to the UN refugee agency: 

At least three people are reported killed in Jalalabad during the city’s protests against the Taliban banner replacing Afghanistan’s national flag.

Taliban leader Anas Haqqani meets Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbudin Hekmatyar in Kabul.

Afghan Embassy in Tajikistan replaces photos of Ashraf Ghani with 'caretaker president' Amrullah Saleh.

Protests in support of Afghanistan's national flag were also held in Khost Province.(Photo courtesy: Twitter@pajhwok)

"We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes and by its actions rather than by its words, on its attitudes to terrorism, to crime and narcotics, as well as humanitarian access and the rights of girls to receive an education," PM Johnson told parliament.

Britain has evacuated more than 2,000 Afghans since the Taliban takeover, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers.

"We have so far secured the safe return of 306 UK nationals and 2,052 Afghan nationals as part of our resettlement programme," British PM said in Parliament.

UK PM Boris Johnson while addressing Parliament on Wednesday said that the country will do everything to support Afghans.

"We are proud to bring brave Afghans to UK," Johnson said.

"We have to accept what we achieved in Afghanistan," he said.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar: Released from Pak prison earlier, Taliban co-founder arrives

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who is the co-founder of the Taliban was released from a Pakistan prison at the request of the Trump administration as it started negotiations with the militant group in Doha

The Taliban said one of its leaders and co-founders, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, had returned to Afghanistan for the first time in more than 10 years.

Despite some reports that people are being harassed and even beaten as they try to leave, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said "large numbers" had been able to reach the airport.

"The Taliban have informed us they are prepared to provide the safe passage of civilians to the airport, and we intend to hold them to that commitment," he told reporters.

The US Department of Defense has poured troops into the airport since Saturday to protect the exodus as the Taliban insurgents entered Kabul after a lightning siege across the country and seized power.

Taliban fighters patrol in a pickup along a road past a poster of ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul.

The Taliban moved quickly to restart the Afghan capital following their stunning takeover of Kabul and told government staff to return to work.

A Taliban fighter patrols along a street in Kabul. 

A Lufthansa flight carrying evacuees from Afghanistan landed at Frankfurt airport on Wednesday morning.

The German airlines plans to carry out three evacuation flights from Afghanistan.

Pak terror groups now present in Kabul, finds Indian assessment

Sources highlighted that "Afghanistan could become the epicentre of Islamic radicalism, which could have a state which is recognized. IS also had territory but that was geographically far". 

Kabul evacuation: US says Taliban has pledged 'safe passage'

Some 3,200 people have been evacuated by the US military so far, a White House official said, including 1,100 on Tuesday alone, US citizens, permanent residents, and their families on 13 flights.

Washington wants to complete the exodus before its August 31 withdrawal deadline, and thousands of US soldiers were at the airport as the Pentagon planned to ramp up flights of its huge C-17 transport jets to as many as two dozen a day.

Will images of happy women in Afghanistan be a thing of the past?

The Taliban is known its hardline stance against gender equality and women from all walks of life in Afghanistan are apprehensive that the progress of the last two decades will amount to nothing now that men with centuries-old thoughts are calling the shots.

In last two decades after Taliban's defeat in 2001, women could at least dream of something. Women politicians, journalists and even security personnel defined the changing social scene in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan female TV anchors defy Taliban by continuing to present on news channel

TOLONews, one of Afghanistan's leading news organisations, has re-started broadcasting with female anchors today. 

The channel's head of news Miraqa Popal made the announcement in a tweet.

Taliban say they seek no ‘revenge’ in press conference, will respect women’s rights

The Taliban pledge a secure Afghanistan as part of a public relations campaign aimed at persuading world powers and a fearful population that they have reformed.

The Taliban have attempted to present themselves as more moderate than when they established a harsh rule in the late 1990s, following a rapid advance throughout Afghanistan that saw major cities fall to the militants without a struggle. 

Taliban want free media but 'suggestions' apply

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid spoke on many issues including media, women's rights and more.

Mujahid said that Taliban promised to respect the role of the press. He said that private media can continue to be 'free and independent'. However the freedom came at a few 'suggestions'