Afghan Embassy in Tajikistan asks Interpol to arrest ex-President Ashraf Ghani, others for embezzlement

On Wednesday, the officials at the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan's Dushanbe replaced Ghani's photo with Amrullah Saleh - who has declared himself as the 'caretaker' President.

According to sources, the Afghanistan embassy in Tajikistan has requested that Interpol arrest former President Ashraf Ghani, Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib, and Ghani's former Chief Advisor Fazel Mahmood for treasury embezzlement. According to media reports quoting local sources, the Afghanistan embassy has requested that Ghani give over the treasury to an international tribunal to recover the people's riches.

On Wednesday, the officials at the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan's Dushanbe replaced Ghani's photo with Amrullah Saleh - who has declared himself as the 'caretaker' President. In an unexpected turn of events, Amrullah Saleh said that he had taken over as caretaker president after Ashraf Ghani left the war-torn country on Tuesday. According to Saleh, the first vice president immediately becomes the caretaker president in the absence, escape, or resignation of the President, citing articles in the Afghan Constitution.

The former President departed the nation on Sunday as the Taliban advanced on Kabul. Ghani is said to be seeking refuge in neighbouring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan. His present whereabouts are unclear, according to the latest press sources.

In his first comments since leaving Afghanistan, Ghani said in a Facebook post on Sunday that he faced with a "difficult choice" between the "armed Taliban" who wanted to enter the Presidential Palace and "leaving the dear country that he has dedicated life to protecting for the past 20 years."

Meanwhile, Russia recently claimed that the 72-year-old President departed Afghanistan aboard a chopper loaded with cash on Monday.