Taliban to declare Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, President Ghani flees Kabul

New Delhi: Amid rapid developments in Afghanistan, a Taliban official said on Sunday (August 15) that the group will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul, Associated Press reported. 

As per the AP report, the Taliban official revealed this on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media. 

Afghanistan was known as ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ under Taliban rule earlier. Taliban which ruled the country from 1996 to 2001, was ousted by US-led forces following the 9/11 attacks.

Read more about Taliban here: Taliban's History

As the Taliban captured the capital Kabul early Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan for Tajikistan, as per Reuters report. Informing about Ghani, a senior Afghan Interior Ministry official told the news agency the Afghanistan President left for Tajikistan and added that he “cannot say anything about Ashraf Ghani`s movement for security reasons".

Earlier on Sunday, Taliban fighters had entered the presidential palace in Kabul, taking charge of the place, two senior Taliban commanders said. However, the Afghan government did not confirm this, Reuters reported.

Citing media reports, news agency IANS mentioned that Taliban has said there would be no transitional government following their capturing Afghanistan. 

As negotiations are underway in the Afghan Presidential Palace to transfer power to the Taliban, some media reports claimed Ali Ahmad Jalali will serve as the head of the new interim government. 

Meanwhile, several Afghans fearing Taliban’s brutal rule that nearly eliminated women's rights rushed to leave the nation as well, forming queues at cash machines to withdraw their life savings. 

On Sunday, an Air India plane carrying 129 passengers landed in Delhi, the AI-144 flight had flown out of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, ANI reported. India has shut its consulates and visas are only being issued from the Indian embassy in Kabul. 

(With agency inputs)