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Amrullah Saleh, Afghanistan’s Vice-President since February last year, now acting President has said that nations must respect the rule of law and not violence. Hitting out at neighbouring Pakistan for its support to the Taliban which has taken over Afghanistan, Saleh said, “Afghanistan is too big for Pakistan to swallow and too big for Talibs to govern. Don’t let your histories have a chapter on humiliation and bowing to terror groups.”
Pakistan’s political and military leadership vehemently denies supporting the Taliban. Nonetheless, the Taliban have found refuge in Pakistan for over two decades.
Saleh had cited the Afghanistan Constitution to declare himself the de factor head of the Islamic republic after President Ashraf Ghani fled on Tuesday to an undeclared destination.
A follower of the slain Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, Saleh has said he will “never be under one ceiling with Taliban.” The vice president has for years been critical of Pakistan, and in recent tweets has denounced ‘Pak backed oppression & brutal dictatorship’.
I will never, ever & under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray d soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won’t dis-appoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER.
— Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 15, 2021
