Officials from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) have said that they are working to form an independent air force that would be reliant on no country’s support, especially the United States, India, and Pakistan.
Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the acting defense minister, made the remarks on Friday at a meeting with Kabul airport personnel, saying the new air force will not need support of the US and regional countries.
“We will establish an air force that will not need the support of the US, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan,” he said.
Before this the Islamic Emirate officials had said they will establish an army composed of 100,000 personnel.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his visit to Pakistan last month said Afghanistan needs a small but well-trained army.
In the past few days footage has gone viral on social media showing Afghan military hardware in transit, and social media users claimed the hardware was being transported from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
The Interior ministry responded to the news, saying they allow no military hardware and equipment to be transported out of the country and rejecting the claims as baseless.
“We completely reject the smuggling of military equipment into Pakistan. No one will be allowed to do it,” said Saeed Khosti, spokesman of the Interior Ministry.
A number of residents said the Islamic Emirate must not allow military equipment to be taken out of the country.
“The smuggling of military tanks and weapons should be stopped. The equipment belongs to the people,” said Shukor Shah, a Kabul resident.
“It is a responsibility of the government to prevent the transportation of military equipment out of the country,” said Hamid, a Kabul resident.
