Afghan Central Bank Governor talks about his escape as Taliban approaches Kabul | world News

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The former governor of the Central Bank of Afghanistan told Sky News how he fled the country with only the clothes he was wearing and “one shoe”.

Ajmal Ahmadi, who was also an advisor to former President Ashraf Ghani, spoke as efforts continue to get people out of Afghanistan while the Taliban consolidate their control.

Mr. Ahmadi, 43, said: “At the end of the day, the only reason I got out – it was a very surreal experience – was we were on the tarmac (at Kabul International Airport), with many helicopters and other planes taking off.

“The Kam Air flight was filled three times as much as it should have been.

“I saw a third-country military plane – this wasn’t an American plane – and everyone was scrambling to get on it and my colleagues pushed me up on that flight from one of those military convoys where the back line was going up.

“I made it on the plane with no belongings, the clothes you see me wearing, one shoe – and that’s how I got out of Afghanistan.”

Ahmadi, who previously worked in asset management, securities and advisory, said he initially went to work on Sunday morning as usual, despite knowing that Taliban fighters were approaching Kabul.

A day earlier, he met President Ashraf Ghani in what will be their last working meeting, in which they discussed “economic issues related to the short term but looking forward to one week”.

Photo: Kabul International Airport was in chaos over the weekend as Afghans tried to escape from the Taliban

He said the situation was “deteriorating very quickly” but that there was hope that the Taliban were still a few days away from the capital – a hope that turned out to be misplaced.

“As the news I received deteriorated and looked worse, I left my office around noon and headed to the airport and there I was able to book a flight that evening and it was later canceled,” he said.

“…It was quiet until the news of the president’s resignation and departure from the country. At that point, it became a bit chaotic.

“People reached out and ran to the runway, trying to get on different planes that were leaving and fortunately I was on one of those planes.”

Ahmadi, who did not say where his flight landed, criticized the former president and the lack of a contingency plan as the Taliban approached, adding: “I think this is where my disappointment arose from.”

Ahmadi, who left lawmakers in charge of the central bank – Bank Da Afghanistan (DAB), said he expected “significant economic hurdles” in the country’s path.

He said, “I would expect the US to freeze international reserves and make that out of the Taliban’s reach.

“If that happens, international reserves, instead of being more than $9 billion (£6.5 billion), will become all that’s left in the country – a very small fraction.

“As a result, the value of the currency is likely to fall and inflation is likely to rise, and this will make it more expensive for everyone to buy basic commodities like food, wheat for bread, etc.”

“Given this information, I fear for the economic future of Afghanistan.”

The bank is believed to have foreign currency, gold and other treasures in its vaults, but most of its assets are held outside Afghanistan.

Central banks, especially in developing countries, often hold their assets abroad with institutions such as the Bank of England or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

“Any central bank assets owned by the Afghan government in the United States will not be made available to the Taliban,” a US official confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday.

Mr. Ahmadi, who was born in Afghanistan but was educated in the US, said he was unlikely to return to his homeland in an official capacity, adding: “I am happy to contribute as much as I can but I spent seven years there doing my best trying to make a difference.

“Seven years in any government is a long time, and given the situation, I would probably offer support from afar.”

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