Renowned Afghan pop star Aryna Saeed on Tuesday criticized ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and called him a “coward” for leaving the country at the hands of a bunch of Pakistanis.
In an exclusive interview with ANI from an undisclosed location, she said, “I am really disappointed with the President (Ashraf Ghani) the way he left Afghanistan at the hands of a group of Pakistanis. He called our people, our country, our Armed forces and army. How can we fight without a leader?”
“I was very sad and angry with him for what he had done, he was very cowardly of him. The day we were leaving Afghanistan on August 15th, he was still giving speeches that everything would be alright. But for the next few days, Within hours he disappeared,” she said.
Talking about the speed with which the Taliban took over the war-torn country, Saeed said, “To begin with, I am really disappointed. I am disappointed that they left Afghanistan alone and the Taliban took over the whole of Afghanistan.” Captured. Over a period of a few days, it’s unbelievable for me.” Meanwhile, he praised the efforts of Afghanistan’s “caretaker” President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmed Masood, son of well-known Taliban opponent Ahmed Shah Masood, to challenge the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley. “Whatever is happening in Panjshir now, it is very brave of them, appreciate it but at the same time, I am afraid that Afghanistan is going back to civil war which is scary. We have gone through this and I don’t want that. Afghanistan passed. That once again, I am really worried,” Saeed said.
He also took a dig at international powers for leaving Afghanistan midway. “I mean look at all the superpower countries that went there in the beginning and they said the reason we go there is to get rid of al Qaeda, get rid of the Taliban and then stay there for twenty years and spend millions and millions of dollars. After that, there is life to be lived. Out of all the soldiers who got lost there, suddenly they decided to leave Afghanistan and come out and it is very shocking to me.”
Saeed urged the international community not to forget about Afghanistan and its people who are now living in misery.
“My hope is to the international community not to forget about Afghanistan. Don’t forget about Afghan citizens because it is not their fault that they are now living in misery and the millions of women and children in Afghanistan who do not deserve what they are. What are you going through now?”
He urged them to put some pressure on Pakistan and blamed the country for the current crisis in Afghanistan by empowering the Taliban.
“I hope they can put some pressure on Pakistan, I personally believe that the current crisis in Afghanistan is because of Pakistan. Taliban are being funded by Pakistan, they are being instructed by Pakistan, Their bases are in Pakistan where they are trained. So I hope that the international community, first of all, will cut their funds and they will not fund Pakistan so that they do not have enough money to fund the Taliban.” Said said.
He asked the Taliban to think about humanity and advised them not to treat innocent people twenty years ago.
“I hope they think of humanity, they should think that you know, they should not treat innocent people like they did twenty years ago,” she said.
During the Taliban regime in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, brutal floggings, limb amputations and public executions were common.
Women were largely confined to their homes and given the death penalty for crimes including female adultery, homosexuality and rejection of Islam.
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