President Ashraf Ghani to step down, interim Taliban govt to take over: Reports

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is expected to relinquish power after talks with the Taliban, The Free Press Journal has reported.

The Taliban negotiators headed to the presidential palace to prepare for a “transfer of power”, an Afghanistan government official was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals, said Sunday that the goal was a peaceful handing over of the government to the Taliban.

Sources have also said that Ali Ahamd Jalali will be appointed as head of the new interim government, The Khaama Press News Agency has reported.

Taliban fighters entered Kabul on Sunday and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government, officials said, as Afghans and foreigners alike raced for the exit, signaling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan.

Also Read: Taliban enter Kabul: Top leadership says won't take the city "by force"

President Ghani urged government forces on August 15 to maintain security in Kabul, after the Taliban paused their sweeping advance on the outskirts of the capital, causing widespread panic.

"It is our responsibility and we will do it in the best possible manner. Anyone who thinks about chaos, plunder or looting will be tackled with force," he said in a video released to media.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis expressed his "concern" and called for dialogue so that the "battered population" can live in peace.

"I join in the unanimous concern for the situation in Afghanistan," the pontiff said during the weekly Angelus at the Vatican.

"I ask all of you to pray with me to the God of peace so that the clamour of weapons might cease and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue.

"Only thus can the battered population of that country – men, women, elderly and children – return to their own homes, and live in peace and security, in total mutual respect."

Russia too is working with other countries to hold an emergency UN Security Council meeting as the Taliban completes its military takeover of the country, foreign ministry official Zamir Kabulov told Russian news agencies.

"We are working on this," Kabulov said, adding that the meeting will take place.

Leonid Slutsky, foreign affairs chief in the lower house of the Russian parliament, said the situation in Afghanistan required the "immediate intervention" of the UN Security Council.

"It is important to prevent a new humanitarian catastrophe," he said, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.