Former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh has accused Pakistan of providing “service” and “help” to the Taliban.
According to Saleh, the Taliban relied on Pakistan as a base of operations and the entire country was at the Taliban’s disposal
Panjshir leader Ahmad Massoud and VP Amrullah Saleh have been fighting the Taliban since the group took power in Afghanistan on August 15.
‘The more money the US paid Pakistan for collaboration, the more Taliban it sponsored.’
Saleh told CNN-News18 that Pakistan’s assistance for the Taliban was one of the reasons the group was able to take control of Afghanistan.
He claimed that the more money the US gave Pakistan for collaboration, the more it offered “services and aid to the Taliban.”
He went on to say that a nuclear state (Pakistan) financing terrorism against Western partners in Afghanistan was never addressed.
US blackmailed the Afghan government: Saleh
While the Doha discussions helped to legitimise the Taliban, Saleh claims the group deceived the world community by failing to keep its obligations.
“The purpose of Doha was to keep the international community divided, keep them hopeful about a peaceful process that did not exist,” Saleh commented.
He further stated that the US allies put immense pressure on Afghanistan, threatening to cut off supplies if captives were not released.
Releasing prisoners meant sending the Taliban more fighters
The Afghan government was concerned about releasing the inmates, fearing that they would end up on the frontlines, according to Amrullah Saleh.
“They ended up at the frontlines. So it was not prisoners’ release but gifting Taliban a division of highly radicalized fighters.”
Saleh’s opinion on US troop withdrawal
When asked about the US force withdrawal from Afghanistan, which triggered the Taliban’s swift takeover, Saleh stated that the decision was “political, not military or intelligence.”
Saleh stated that he had previously warned of such repercussions.
Saleh also said, “The US is a global power… this shows a single wrong political judgement humiliates a superpower, too.” He added, “It wasn’t the Taliban who won… it was the lack of political win in Washington which led to this scramble.”
The scenes at Kabul Airport are just the tip of the iceberg.
Saleh claimed the mayhem at Kabul’s airport, where hundreds of Afghans are allegedly dying as they leave the Taliban’s authority, is merely the “tip of the iceberg.”
“The country has sunken into tragedy and terrorist groups have taken over Afghanistan.”
He stated that they will fight until the “enemy” believes that Afghanistan should be Afghanistan rather than “Talibanistan.”
Situation under control in Panjshir: Saleh
In the midst of rumours of a probable Taliban invasion in Panjshir Valley, where Saleh and resistance leader Ahmad Massoud are assembling forces against the Taliban, Saleh stated that the situation in the region is under their control.” I move around with minimum security,” he said.
What is going on in Afghanistan?
The Taliban gained control of the Afghan government when the United States withdrew its forces from the nation, bringing an end to America’s two-decade-long ‘War on Terror.’
The Taliban moved fast, seizing control of numerous strategic cities and seizing Kabul, the capital on August 15.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani evacuated the country the same day, and citizens followed suit.