Over the past two years, senior officials from the former Afghan government have repeatedly accused each other of playing a role in the downfall of the republic system. Many political leaders in key positions have pointed fingers at Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his decision-making circle, blaming them for the failure to defend the republic and the subsequent surrender to the Taliban. In a recent development, however, a senior Taliban official and a member of the Haqqani network have shifted the blame towards Hamed Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah, Atta Muhammad Nur, and some other political figures, accusing them of collusion in the collapse of the previous government with the Taliban.
During a television interview, this official accused Atta Muhammad Nur, the former governor of Balkh province, of initially pledging allegiance to the Taliban and later betraying that commitment. The senior Haqqani network member revealed secret agreements and understandings between the Taliban and certain former political figures at the time of the government’s collapse, asserting that he assisted many of them in leaving Afghanistan. However, the office of the former governor of Balkh province dismissed these claims, stating that Khalil Haqqani is experiencing troubled dreams.
After the collapse of the republic system, most citizens and politicians hold Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the former president, and his inner circle responsible for the downfall of the regime and the country’s surrender to the Taliban. In the latest development, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Minister of Refugee and Repatriation of the Taliban, stated in an interview with Shamshad TV that Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the former government’s High Council for National Reconciliation, and some other political figures of the republic system have cooperated extensively with this group. This senior member of the Haqqani network claims that he owns a “signature” of Abdullah Abdullah’s cooperation with them. He quoted Abdullah Abdullah as saying, “Dr. Abdullah told me that I work in the political and negotiation space, and you work here [in Doha].” He further alleged in this television interview that during the Doha peace negotiations, a delegation was sent to Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the former president, and had been in contact with Hamed Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah.
In this conversation, the senior member of the Haqqani network has made numerous allegations against the leaders of the former government and prominent political figures. In one part of his remarks, he accuses Atta Muhammad Nur, the former governor of Balkh province, of pledging allegiance to him. Haqqani says that a leader of the Jamiat party named Atta Muhammad Nur met with him and pledged allegiance. He adds: “Atta Muhammad Nur swore an oath and made a promise. I asked him, “What will you do when we come to power, by force or consent?” He extended his hand and pledged allegiance, but he later broke his pledge.”
This senior Taliban member continues to claim that Mr. Nur was in contact with him even during the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province. He says that Nur leaving Balkh has been surprising to him.
These claims arise as Atta Muhammad Nur, the leader of the breakaway faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, has established a council under the name ” Supreme Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan” with some senior political figures of the former government and jihadist leaders. This council has repeatedly urged the international community not to recognize the Taliban regime and to exert pressure on this group to engage in negotiations.
Furthermore, the Supreme Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan has recently condemned the Taliban’s invitation to the Doha Meeting as condoning the group’s violent behavior in Afghanistan in a joint statement with other political factions. The statement, signed by 16 political factions, asserts that the Taliban do not represent the people of Afghanistan and currently hosts more than 20 other terrorist groups in the country.
Meanwhile, Atta Muhammad Nur’s media office told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “Khalil Haqqani has had troubled dreams.” Other officials still need to comment on this matter.
The Taliban minister continues to claim, “I was also in contact with Ismail Khan [former Minister of Energy and Water]. I had more than 20 meetings with Ismail Khan and Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, and I also have credible documents. I was in touch with Professor Sayyaf until he entered Kabul Airport.”
These accusations of collusion from the Taliban official to Ismail Khan come at a time, when the former jihadist commander was responsible for commanding the popular mobilization against the Taliban in Herat until the fall of the city. Ultimately, he and several other senior government officials fell into Taliban captivity. After two years of Taliban rule, he calls the return of this group to power a “major global conspiracy” and emphasizes that the architects of the Doha Agreement regret handing power to the Taliban.
These allegations come as U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly described the withdrawal from Afghanistan over the past two years as “disastrous.” In the latest development, the United States Congress has called on Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, to be accountable for the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Mr. Khalilzad told members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee that the Taliban had offered to form a joint government on the day Kabul fell on August 15, 2021. According to him, the escape of former President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and previous security commanders prevented the formation of a government and the transfer of political power.
Meanwhile, Michael McCaul, the chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, has called Ashraf Ghani’s escape “cowardly.” Confirming Khalilzad’s statements regarding the failure of the previous leaders to preserve the system, he added, “I agree, Ashraf Ghani’s actions and escape were cowardly.”
Zalmay Khalilzad remains under sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers after two and a half years. Michael Waltz, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, criticized him, saying, “Relying on one terrorist group to eliminate another terrorist group is dangerous and a big mistake.”
