Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban's acting Defence Minister, remarked during a ceremony on January 11, 2021. "Our planes in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan should be returned. We will not allow these planes to remain in other countries or be used by them" Yaqoob stated, according to Business Standard. He added that if neighbouring countries do not meet their demands, the Taliban will take "retaliatory steps" to return the aircraft.
Afghan Air Force pilots fleeing Afghanistan flew a sizable portion of the Afghan Air Force, including Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. According to Yaqoob, there are still 46 aircraft in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
He also appealed to the pilots, saying, "They would not be honoured in foreign countries." We will respect them. They are our country's treasure." Since the beginning of the defections, many pilots have been deported from the countries they fled, while the aircraft has remained.
