Banks and cash machines in Afghanistan stay closed for the seventh day in a row…..reports Asian Lite News
Afghans are becoming increasingly scared they may run out of money, as banks remain shut for the seventh day in Afghanistan.
Banks and cash machines in Afghanistan stay closed for the seventh day in a row.
There’s no cash inside the machines, no operational banks and no Western Union offices, which is where people from overseas would normally transfer money to. With these closed, it’s now near impossible to send money into the country, BBC reported.
People say they are running out of funds and anxiety is growing across the capital and other cities.
Pen Farthing, an ex-marine who now runs an animal rescue centre in Kabul, said he can’t pay his staff and people are running out of food.
“Eight days since the banks closed in Kabul and across Afghanistan. ATM machines are empty”, said a twitter comment.
“For now I want food for my 3 children. We had bread today with sweet tea. Gas is too expensive, all banks closed, other food stuff shortage in Kabul stores, cant find mobile top up – and also afraid for our lives”, One of group members texted this Friday morning, said a twitter post.
‘Ghani wasn’t prepared’
Ashraf Ghani, the ousted president of Afghanistan, was far from prepared for Taliban takeover and he fled on Sunday with only the clothes he was wearing, a former senior official of Afghanistan ousted government said.
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Providing vivid details of the last weeks’ events which led to the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, the former officials said that the advisors were stunned by the speed of the Taliban’s advance on the capital of Kabul, reported CNN.
According to the report, a senior member of the Ghani administration met in Kabul with a prominent member of a group allied to both the Taliban and al Qaeda, who told him bluntly that the government must surrender.
“In the days leading up to the Taliban coming in Kabul, we had been working on a deal with the US to hand over peacefully to an inclusive government and for President Ghani to resign,” he said.
“These talks were underway when the Taliban came into the city. The Taliban entering Kabul city from multiple points was interpreted by our intelligence as hostile advances,” the senior official said.
“We had received intelligence for over a year that the President would be killed in the event of a takeover,” the official added.
According to the official, Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh fled to Panjshir Valley on Sunday morning.
Many others fled the presidential compound “shortly after when there was gunfire outside the palace. People in the city were panicked and many security personnel abandoned their posts.”
“At that point, our goal was to save the city and its citizens from fighting in the streets. This was maintained and the deal we had started negotiating (that) continues today in the hands of (former Afghan chief executive) Abdullah Abdullah and (former President Hamid) Karzai.”
The official said that Ghani left in haste. “He went to Termez in Uzbekistan, where he spent one night and then from there to the UAE (United Arab Emirates). There was no money with him. He literally just had the clothes he was wearing.”
The official’s claims are in contrast to reports saying that Ghani left Kabul with millions of dollars in case.
Ghani too has rejected these claims, saying he left the country to avert bloodshed, and that he fled without even changing his shoes. (IANS/ANI)
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