A former Afghan minister returned to Kabul on Wednesday. He had fled the country when the Taliban took over last year. Minister for Education Ghulam Farooq Wardak had been in Turkiye since last August. Wardak was a member of the cabinets of former presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani. Taliban officials looking to shore up a government, which is yet to win international recognition.
Other officials who returned include a former spokesman for the defence ministry, the former head of Afghanistan’s national power company, and some military officials, said Ahmad Wasiq, a spokesperson for a body set up by the Taliban to negotiate the return of high-profile Afghans abroad, a Dawn report reads.
“Most authorities are thinking about returning,” Wardak told state-run media. He added that a small group might be hesitant to return, but, he said he felt respect and happiness in his home. "A person's dignity is in his own country. … I feel dignified and proud in my country," Wardak added.
"Too many people — former ministers, governors and members of parliament — have reached out to us expressing their desire to return to their home country," Abdul Haq Wasiq told VOA news. The Taliban have been trying to make good use of prominent Afghans who are returning.
