Afghanistan’s information agency TOLO News reports that the plane of the First Vice President, General Abdul Rashid Dostum was reportedly urged to divert and land in Ashgabat after it was reportedly refused landing rights in Mazar-e-Sharif.
Air traffic control officers initially diverted the plane and directed it to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. However, the plane diverted to Turkmenistan instead.
According to the sources of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”, the plane landed in Mary.
The Afghan information agency reports that Dostum intends to head to Faryab province, bordering Turkmenistan, by car.
The media outlet reminds that Dostum was en route to Afghanistan from Turkey where, according to official sources, he has been undergoing a course of treatment in the past two months.
At the end of last year Dostum was accused of kidnapping and torturing his political rival Ahmad Eshchi.
At the same time, the information on diverting the plane of Afghan General is refuted by Mohammad Atta Noor, governor of Balkh province where the plane was scheduled to land.
He claims that Dostum is now in Turkey as a group of engineers was on the flight and the plane was denied access to the airport due to technical problems.