'Will never bow to Taliban,' says former Afghan Vice-President Saleh
Amrullah Saleh, the former Vice-President of Afghanistan, said he will never bow down to the Taliban, while also accusing Pakistan of siding with the terror group. His comments come as the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan and former President Ashraf Ghani has left the country. The Taliban is expected to soon form an interim government in Afghanistan.
'I won't disappoint millions who listened to me'
"I will never, ever, and under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray d soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won't disappoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER, (sic)" Saleh tweeted. Ahmad Shah Massoud was a decorated anti-Taliban commander.
You can read the tweet here
Pakistan can't hide anymore, he says
In another tweet, he wrote, "Truth can't be hidden or faked for long. It comes out and hits back at the liar & the deceiver. Pakistan can't hide anymore. They are in the war and on the side of the terrorist Taliban." Pakistan has long been accused by officials and others of extending support to the Taliban and indirectly participating in the Afghanistan war.
Anti-Taliban front reportedly being planned in Afghanistan
Separately, international media has reported that an anti-Taliban front is being planned in Afghanistan. The reports cited pictures showing the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud and Saleh holding consultations in Panjshir Valley. Panjshir province, the birthplace of Massoud, is some three hour-drive away from the capital Kabul and still out of Taliban control, according to reports.
Who was Ahmad Shah Massoud?
Massoud was a veteran Tajik commander, considered a grand figure in Afghanistan. In the 1990s, he became the Defense minister in Burhanuddin Rabbani's government. On September 9, 2001, two days before the attacks in America, he was killed in a suicide bombing by the al-Qaeda.
Taliban took control of Afghanistan on Sunday
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan on Sunday even as President Ashraf Ghani fled. The insurgents had captured many key cities in a matter of days before reaching the capital and asking for a "peaceful transition" of power. On Monday, chaotic scenes played out at the Kabul airport as thousands rushed there to try and flee. Several people were killed in separate incidents.
Mullah Baradar will likely be new Afghan President
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the popular Taliban leader, is likely to become Afghanistan's next President. He had co-founded the Taliban in 1994, along with his brother-in-law Mullah Mohammed Omar. He held several posts, including that of the Deputy Minister of Defense, during the Taliban rule (1996-2001). In 2020, he oversaw the signing of troop withdrawal agreement with the United States in Qatar.
