According to a top Taliban official on Wednesday, former Afghan military pilots are protected by a national amnesty and will not be arrested if they remain in the country.
Chief government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid’s comments follow reports that 140 Afghan pilots and crew members fled Tajikistan this week in an evacuation arranged by the United States, three months after seeking asylum there from a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the reports independently.
In mid-August, the US-backed Afghan government collapsed, and the Taliban took over. A large number of Afghan pilots fled to Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is unclear that how many military pilots and crew members remain in Afghanistan, what level of risk they face or to what extent Taliban assurance can be trusted.
As reported by the New York Times, Mujahid was asked about the latest evacuation of pilots and crew members to the United Arab Emirates. Mujahid said Afghanistan needs pilots and that all is forgiven.
