Taliban acting PM Hassan Akhund accuses former President Ghani of corruption

Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, during his first public address on Saturday, accused the country's former President Ashraf Ghani of corruption and funds embezzlement, local media reported.

"Ghani had established a bank inside the Presidential palace", Akhund was quoted as saying by Khaama Press.

He said that Taliban members found the bulk of cash in the Presidential palace which was left behind Ghani and his team while escaping.

As Afghanistan is facing a severe financial crisis, the Taliban appointed acting PM said that problems including poverty and economic crisis existed even before the Taliban seized control of Kabul.

He said that Afghanistan's economic problems will be solved if the central bank's assets are released.The US has frozen nearly USD 9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank and stopped shipments of cash to the nation.

Taliban have been urging the international community to unfreeze the assets as the country is facing severe financial and humanitarian crises.

A new UN report earlier on Monday said Afghanistan's banking and financial systems are on the verge of collapse following the country's takeover by the Taliban. "Afghanistan's financial and bank payment systems are in disarray," the report by UN Development Program (UNDP) said.

Referring to women's rights, Akhund claimed that the Taliban government has provided women with their rights, that education continues and the Taliban government is working to improve the situation for the education of girls.

Taliban after the siege of Afghanistan has been trying to deliver a moderate image to the world in an attempt to gain international confidence but experts believe that Afghan women are most likely to face an uncertain future under the group regime.

( With inputs from ANI )