Afghan embassy in Tajikistan seeks Interpol detention order for Ashraf Ghani

By Bahtiyar Abdulkerimov

TASHKENT, Tajikistan (AA) - The Afghan embassy in Tajikistan demands Interpol to detain former President Ashraf Ghani, who fled his country "by embezzling $169 million from the state treasury."

Muhammed Zahir Agbar, Afghanistan's envoy to Dushanbe, in a news conference in Dushanbe, described the flee of Ghani as a "betrayal of the state and the nation." Agbar said he recognizes Amrullah Saleh, the vice president in Ghani's government, as the legitimate head of the Afghan state.

He went on to say that according to the country's constitution, in the absence, escape, or death of the president, the first vice president, becomes an official acting president.

The ambassador also underlined that the negotiations of the relevant parties for the establishment of a comprehensive government are continuing in Doha and the Afghan people are waiting for the outcome of these talks.

Agbar expressed his hope that the international community will help to establish peace and inclusive government in Afghanistan.

At the end of the meeting, in the presence of press members, Agbar instructed the embassy staff to remove the photo of Ghani and replace it with the picture of Saleh.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara