New Delhi: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who posted a video on his Facebook page defending his decision to flee Kabul in the face of the Taliban advance, escaped with as many as 51 close people to UAE on a Russian aircraft, according to Afghan Media.
The report said that among 51 close people escaped with Ashraf Ghani included his wife Rula Ghani, former Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib and Cricketer Mohammad Nabi.
On its twitter handle, Afghan International News Channel has shared the complete list of people who managed to escape with Ashraf Ghani.
افغانستان اینترنشنال به لیست افراد نزدیک اشرف غنی، رییس جمهور برکنار شده افغانستان دست یافته است که یکجا با او از کابل به امارات متحده عربی پناهنده شده اند. pic.twitter.com/pn0vYpOeB6
— افغانستان اینترنشنال - خبر فوری (@afintlbrk) August 18, 2021
Notably, Ghani has also denied claims made by his country's diplomat that he had stolen USD 169 million from state funds before fleeing the country. In the video, he also confirmed that he was in the United Arab Emirates.
Thanking Afghan security forces in his message, he said that the “failure of the peace process” led to the Taliban snatching power.
Afghan President's video message described his escape from the Taliban saying he was "forced to leave Afghanistan with one set of traditional clothes, a vest and the sandals I was wearing. I was evacuated in a condition where I couldn’t even put on my shoes."
"Accusations were charged in these days that money was transferred, these accusations are fully baseless," said Afghan President Ghani, who left Afghanistan on Sunday when the Taliban approached Kabul.
