Presidency of Hamid Karzai

The Taliban have taken away security from former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and former Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah, who is officially the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR).

Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory on Tuesday in Afghanistan's disputed election, blaming fraud for putting him behind poll rival Ashraf Ghani in preliminary results.
      
"We are proud, we respect the votes of the people, we were the winner," Abdullah told thousands of cheering supporters gathered in Kabul.