Team News Riveting
The exiled leaders from Afghanistan’s ethnic minorities have started the efforts to form a government-in-exile after their first attempt last month went in vain.
After the Taliban takeover on August 15, the leaders now in exile had made brief attempts to thwart the Taliban from entering their strongholds in northern Afghanistan. But they failed to get the international support while Pakistan Air Force also foiled their move to help the Taliban regain control over their territory.
All eyes are now set on Tajikistan where many of these leaders have taken shelter. The leaders are hopeful to get their support to hold a grand show of the exiled Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara leaders who were from the Mujahideen stock and have been opposed to the Taliban which had dislodged them in 1996 and again this year.
The names being mentioned for the shadow government include Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, Amrullah Saleh, Ahmad Masood, Salahuddin Rabbani, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Muhammad Mohaqiq and Mohammad Hanif Atmar.
Though there is no indication whether any government is willing to bankroll and host these leaders, their efforts have been supplemented by diarchy – while the Taliban controls Afghanistan, all missions abroad are still manned by loyalists of the old regime. Of these diplomats, a large number are Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras who are supporters of leaders from their ethnic groups.
Even Taliban has strongly opposed any such move.
