Taliban Leadership May Arrive in Kabul Today, Plans on 'Broad-based Govt' to Get Int'l Legitimacy

Taliban leadership is likely to arrive in Kabul from Doha on Monday, sources told News18. Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, Afghan Reconciliation Council head Abdullah Abdullah and former PM Gulbuddin Hekmatyar are trying to negotiate with the militant group to establish an interim broad-based government.

A source said that they will try to convey that it is necessary for Taliban opt for a broad-based government to get “international legitimacy”. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday night as the insurgents encircled the capital, capping a military victory that saw them capture all cities in just 10 days.

“The Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honour, property and self-preservation of their countrymen,” Ghani said after fleeing.

Victorious Taliban fighters patrolled Kabul on Monday after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan’s 20-year war, as thousands of people mobbed the city’s airport trying to flee the group’s feared hardline brand of Islamist rule.

After police and other government forces gave up their posts in Kabul on Sunday, Taliban fighters took over checkpoints across the city and entered the presidential palace.

Militants with rifles slung over their shoulders were also seen walking Monday through the streets of the Green Zone, the formerly heavily fortified district that houses most embassies and international organisations.

The Taliban sought to reassure the international community that Afghans should not fear their them, and they will not take revenge against those who supported the US-backed alliance.

In a message posted to social media, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar called on his fighters to remain disciplined after taking control of the city. “Now it’s time to test and prove, now we have to show that we can serve our nation and ensure security and comfort of life,” he said.

But there were desperate scenes at Kabul’s airport on Monday as people tried to board the few flights available. “We are afraid to live in this city,” a 25-year-old ex-soldier told AFP as he stood among huge crowds on the tarmac. “Since I served in the army, the Taliban would definitely target me.”

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