Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday left the country reportedly for Tajikistan along with National Security Adviser Hamdullah Muhib and head of the administrative office of President Fazel Mahmood Fazli as Taliban took over Kabul, Presidential Palace. Some of Afghanistan's lawmakers have also fled to Islamabad.
Speaker of Afghan parliament Mir Rahman Rahmani, Younus Qanuni, Muhammad Muhaqeq, Karim Khalili, Ahmad Wali Masoud, and Ahmad Zia Masoud have fled to Islamabad, Afghan media reported.
'Ghani will be judged'
Head of High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah in a video clip while terming Ashraf Ghani a former President said he has left Afghanistan. He said that he left the people of Afghanistan in mess and misery and he will be judged accordingly.
The Taliban in an official statement said that the fighters were directed to enter Kabul city so that they prevent potential looting and chaos in the city, as per media reports. The statement reads that, since Afghan forces have left outposts in Kabul city, there is a risk of plundering.
Delegation to leave for Doha, Qatar for power transfer talks
Kabul is taken by the fighters at a time when the power is not transferred yet and a delegation is said to be leaving for Doha to complete the process.
Meanwhile, reports also say that President Ashraf Ghani has left it on the political leadership of the country to solve the current crisis. Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said that a delegation will travel to Doha on Monday for talks.
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Afghanistan's political delegation may include leaders Younus Qanooni, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Mohammad Mohaqiq among others.
Sources close to the Taliban said that it has been agreed that Ghani will resign after a political agreement and hand the power to a transitional government.
The top leadership fleeing the country has set the stage for Taliban insurgents to regain power in Afghanistan 20 years after a US-led military invasion ousted them.
There was no comment from Ghani or his embattled administration in Kabul. In a recorded message on Saturday, Ghani had told the nation he was consulting with both national and international players on the situation which he called an "imposed war".
Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who flee country, vows not to bow to Taliban
Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who is said to have accompanied Ghani and the others who left, in a tweet vowed not to bow to the Taliban, but he did not respond in the message to reports of him leaving the country.
On Sunday morning, a Taliban delegation engaged prominent Afghan jihadi leaders, politicians and elders in negotiations that culminated in Ghani stepping down from office, sources directly aware of the developments told VOA.
Taliban maintain not to engage Ghani in talks
The Taliban maintained in the talks that they would not engage Ghani in any transfer of power, saying he was not "a legitimate" President.
It is not known who was involved in the negotiations, but Abdullah Abdullah, who has overseen US-brokered, intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban, was among the negotiators of Sunday's deal.
Under the deal reportedly reached, a delegation of Afghan leaders, including Abdullah, would travel to Qatar, where "the transfer of power to the Taliban" will formally take place, sources told VOA.
In this hour of crisis, Afghans say that that they seek a political settlement and an end to the ongoing violence in the country.
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