I have absolutely no idea if this is true, but the Kabul government is as corrupt as they come, and this would explain why so many districts fell so easily, and why they’re so dependent on militias.
As of 2013, ANSF was supposed to have had 344,500 personnel composed of 185,300 ANA, 152,600 ANP, and 6,600 AAF.
35K would be well short of that.
ANSF as advertised.