The morning after the Taliban installed themselves in the presidential palace in Kabul, seizing control over Afghanistan, fears intensified on Monday about a return to the Taliban’s brutal rule and the threat of reprisal killings. Kabul’s international airport was under the protection of foreign forces, including thousands of US soldiers sent to the country to assist in a hasty evacuation. It was a scene of desperation, sadness and panic as thousands of Afghans flooded the tarmac on Monday morning, at one point swarming around a departing US military plane as it taxied down the runway. At least five people were reported killed amid a scramble to clamber onto any aircraft readying for take-off.
Worries pervaded Kabul, the capital, about the potential for violence as the Taliban filled the city. In remarkable scenes broadcast on Al-Jazeera, Taliban leaders ensconced themselves in the palace only hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled - taking control over what was once one of the most secure locations in the country. In the video, the head of the Afghan presidential security guard shook hands with a Taliban commander in one of the palace buildings and said he had accompanied the Taliban commander at the request of the senior Afghan government negotiator. “I say welcome to them, and I congratulate them,” the official said.
Afghan officials in other cities were filmed handing over power to insurgent leaders. Former President Hamid Karzai said he had formed a council with other political leaders to coordinate a peaceful transition to a new Taliban government. Karzai also asked the head of the Presidential Protection Service to remain at his post and ensure that the palace was not looted.
Early Taliban actions in other cities under their control offered a glimpse of what the future might hold. In Kunduz, which fell August 8, they set up checkpoints and went door to door in search of absentee civil servants, warning that any who did not return to work would be punished.
The change in atmosphere in Kabul was as swift as it was frightening for many who thought that they could build a life under the protection of their US allies. Some in the city said the Taliban had already visited government officials’ homes. They entered the home of one former official in western Kabul and removed his cars and took over the home of a former governor in another part of town. In other parts of the country, there were reports that fighters were searching for people they consider collaborators of the US and the fallen government. Residents of Kabul began tearing down advertisements that showed women without headscarves for fear of upsetting the Taliban, whose ideology excludes women from much of public life. Some police officers were taken into custody by Taliban fighters, while others were seen changing into civilian clothes and trying to flee.
The Taliban said their forces had entered Kabul to ensure order and public safety. A member of the Taliban’s negotiating team, Suhail Shaheen, in Qatar told the BBC that “there will be no revenge” on civilians.
India evacuated its embassy staff
Two Indian Air Force C-17 transports flew into Kabul on August 15 to evacuate Indian embassy personnel, including Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel who defend the mission, sources have said. Details of the challenging and difficult circumstances under which the Indian mission staff were evacuated have now emerged. The security situation in the intervening night of August 15-16 deteriorated sharply and no evacuations became possible then, sources said. The Indian embassy was reportedly also under observation by the Taliban, and the high-security Green Zone - the heavily fortified district that houses most embassies and international organisations - was breached.
The Taliban raided the Shahir Visa Agency, which processes visas for Afghans looking to travel to India, sources said. The first batch of 45 Indian personnel who were evacuated on the first IAF aircraft were initially stopped by Taliban sentries on their way to the airport, they said. The personal belongings of a few Indian staff members were taken away by the Taliban as they proceeded to the airport, sources have said. The remaining members of the Indian diplomatic and security contingent were unable to evacuate since the route to the airport was closed and there were mobs at the airport. An overnight conversation between the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar may have helped in moving the Indian personnel to Kabul airport on Monday morning.
Sikhs, Hindus assured of safety
Hours after entering Kabul, representatives of Taliban met leaders of the Sikh and Hindu communities in the Afghanistan capital and asked them not to be scared of them or leave the country. Instead, said a Sikh living in Moscow who has been in touch with his family in Kabul, they have shared their mobile phone numbers with them and asked them to contact the Taliban in case they faced any difficulty. Minorities have been expecting reprisal attacks by Taliban and a reversal of freedom they enjoyed under US occupation. However, for now, they are of the view that they can breathe easy. The Taliban has, however, asked them to raise white flags to avoid any misunderstanding.
Ashraf Ghani flees
Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani left capital Kabul on Sunday with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, a news agency reported. It quoted Russian news agency RIA to report that Ghani had to leave some money behind as it would not all "fit in". "Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac," Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA. Ghani's current whereabouts are unknown. Reports claim that he is in Oman after Tajikistan denied the aircraft carrying him the permission to land. Reports also said that Ghani is headed to the United States. In a lengthy Facebook post just before leaving Afghanistan, Ghani had said that he is doing so to avoid bloodshed.
China ready for friendly ties with Taliban
China is ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative” relations with Afghanistan, a government spokeswoman said Monday, after the Taliban seized control of the country. Beijing has sought to maintain unofficial ties with the Taliban throughout the US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, with which China shares a rugged 76km border. China said it “welcomed” the chance to deepen ties with Afghanistan, a country that has for generations been coveted for its geostrategic importance by bigger powers. “The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good relations with China, and that they look forward to China’s participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
