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Developments in Afghanistan

All private banks in Afghanistan bankrupt, says country’s ex-vice president

Amrullah Saleh pointed out that the Taliban radical militant group "have silently taken control of all private banks" and their owners and CEOs "have fled the country fearing kidnapping and torture"

TEHERAN, December 7. /TASS/. Former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh issued a statement on Tuesday via Twitter claiming that all private banks in Afghanistan had gone bankrupt and their executives had fled abroad.

"All private banks in Afghanistan are now insolvent and bankrupt except AIB which may/will be used for transfer of humanitarian funds," Saleh tweeted.

He added that the Taliban radical militant group (outlawed in Russia) "have silently taken control of all private banks" and their owners and CEOs "have fled the country fearing kidnapping and torture."

The former vice-president believes that "Pakistan (whose leadership he has repeatedly accused of supporting the Taliban - TASS) should intervene and save its "proxy" from the crisis by pouring money" into the Afghan economy.

"Sending [to Afghanistan] seven trucks of wheat a week is not a solution," he said.

The Taliban launched a large-scale offensive to seize control of Afghanistan after the United States declared its intention in the spring of this year to withdraw its troops from the country.

On August 15, the Taliban entered Kabul without encountering any resistance while Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country. The Taliban declared on September 6 that they had established control of the entire Afghan territory and on September 7 they announced an interim government in Afghanistan that has not been recognized by any country so far.

On October 18, a delegation of the Taliban’s interim government led by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi paid a visit to the Russian capital to participate in the 3rd meeting on Afghanistan in the Moscow format.

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Power transfer in Afghanistan

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