Taliban holds press conference, declares not to threaten any country
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will not pose a threat to any country. The Taliban-led state will also ensure a range of women's rights, as well as the safety of Afghan citizens who have worked for foreign forces.
This was the affirmation of the Taliban representative in a press conference on the evening of August 17, the first time since taking power in Afghanistan.
In his first appearance before the press in the capital Kabul since seizing power on August 15, spokesmanTaliban forcesZabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban would soon reach an agreement that would see an Islamic government established in the South Asian country. Taliban gunmen entered the capital Kabul at noon on August 15 and took control of the Presidential Palace a few hours later, ending an offensive aimed at seizing power from former President Ashraf Ghani. Since taking Kabul, Taliban leaders have been discussing plans to form a future government from Doha, Qatar. Taliban representative Zabihullah Mujahid said the new government would include all parties in Afghanistan.
Asked about the differences between the Taliban government of the 1990s and the government of 2021, the representative of this armed Islamist force said that "the ideology and beliefs of the Taliban in the 1990s and the current one are the same, because they are all Muslims". But there have been changes in experience - the Taliban are now more experienced and have a different perspective. The Taliban declared that they do not want "enemies both inside and outside the country". And they do not want Afghanistan's territory to become a staging ground for attacks against any country. In addition, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid assured that the organization is committed to providing basic rights for women based on Islamic law.
“The Taliban is committed to giving women rights based on Islam. Women can work in the medical field and other jobs where they are needed. There will be no discrimination against women.”
Mujahid also said that the Taliban would grant amnesty to everyone and would not take revenge on anyone, including former members of the Afghan military and those who worked for foreign forces. That means there would be no hunting down and punishment of those considered enemies of the Taliban. The Taliban also said they wanted media outlets to continue operating in Afghanistan as long as they met three criteria. First, they must not propagate or publish content that goes against Islamic values. They must remain impartial, and no one should report against the national interests of Afghanistan.
Referring to the issue of ensuring the security of foreign diplomatic missions, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid pledged: "Security of embassies in Kabul is a matter of great concern to us. We assure all countries that our forces will maintain security for all embassies, diplomatic missions, international organizations and aid agencies."
According to information released at the press conference, the deputy commander and co-founder of the Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has returned to Afghanistan from Doha. Earlier, on the morning of August 17, the Taliban announced a 'general amnesty' for all Afghan government officials and urged them to return to work, including women, under Sharia law.
In another development, former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh declared himself the "legitimate interim president" of Afghanistan under a constitutional provision in the absence of the incumbent president. Mr. Saleh affirmed this in the context that former President Ashraf Ghani boarded a plane to leave Afghanistan just before Taliban gunmen entered the Presidential Palace. In his first comment on his personal Facebook page since leaving the country on August 15, Mr. Ghani said he left to avoid "a bloodbath" when Kabul fell to the Taliban and "terrorists entered the Presidential Palace"./.
