07:20
11.6.2014
Pakistan's ex-spy master endorses Abdullah
Abdullah and Ghani have received a flurry of endorsements in the past week.
Perhaps, the most surprising is from Pakistan’s former spy chief, Hamid Gul, who has backed Abdullah.
Gul trained Afghan resistance fighters against the Soviets and helped create the Taliban, whom Abdullah fought in the 1990s. But Gul, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency between 1987 and 1989, says Abdullah has the best chance of securing peace in Afghanistan.
In an interview with AFP in his home in Rawalpindi, Gul says: "Abdullah has a distinct advantage for future peace in Afghanistan -- if that is the objective and it should be -- that he is a jihadi. And the other people with him are also jihadis,” he says, referring to Abdullah’s vice-president running mates.
"Ashraf Ghani is not a jihadi. And for a jihadi to open a dialogue with a non-jihadi would be very difficult."
Abdullah and Ghani have received a flurry of endorsements in the past week.
Perhaps, the most surprising is from Pakistan’s former spy chief, Hamid Gul, who has backed Abdullah.
Gul trained Afghan resistance fighters against the Soviets and helped create the Taliban, whom Abdullah fought in the 1990s. But Gul, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency between 1987 and 1989, says Abdullah has the best chance of securing peace in Afghanistan.
In an interview with AFP in his home in Rawalpindi, Gul says: "Abdullah has a distinct advantage for future peace in Afghanistan -- if that is the objective and it should be -- that he is a jihadi. And the other people with him are also jihadis,” he says, referring to Abdullah’s vice-president running mates.
"Ashraf Ghani is not a jihadi. And for a jihadi to open a dialogue with a non-jihadi would be very difficult."
06:58
11.6.2014
A widely circulated cartoon on Twitter that takes a swipe at Abdullah's reluctance to face Ghani in a debate. "I have been ready for a debate. I was ready for a debate and I'm ready now."
06:51
11.6.2014
Afghans have turned to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to urge Abdullah to face Ghani in a televised debate.
On Twitter, dozens of messages like this one have been posted in the past two weeks.
On Twitter, dozens of messages like this one have been posted in the past two weeks.
06:38
11.6.2014
Ashraf Ghani has challenged his opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, to a televised debate.
Ghani has accused Abdullah of “running scared.” Abdullah has failed to show up at several televised debates ahead of the first round election on April 5. He has also been unwilling to have a face-to-face debate ahead of the second round. But now Abdullah has told the BBC that he will if the conditions are right.
Ghani has accused Abdullah of “running scared.” Abdullah has failed to show up at several televised debates ahead of the first round election on April 5. He has also been unwilling to have a face-to-face debate ahead of the second round. But now Abdullah has told the BBC that he will if the conditions are right.
06:31
11.6.2014
Good morning. Welcome to our coverage of Afghanistan's run-off election. Today is the last day for campaigning. There will be two-day "silence period" before the election on June 14.
17:26
10.6.2014
This wraps up our live-blogging for Tuesday, June 10. See you first thing in the morning Kabul time!
17:12
10.6.2014
17:11
10.6.2014
17:07
10.6.2014
16:15
10.6.2014
"Is your future with Ashraf Ghani or ... with ... ???. Your vote, your future."
-- Ashraf Ghani campaign billboard