Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid (left) leaves after the group’s first news conference in Kabul, on Aug 17, following its takeover of Afghanistan. (HOSHANG HASHIMI / AFP)
As the Taliban 2.0 version gets livestreamed and its leaders gradually emerge from the shadows for the takeover, peace-building and the reconstruction of Afghanistan should find new hope despite sporadic protests.
The Taliban has pledged to establish an inclusive government for Afghanistan and has promised amnesty, peace and women’s rights, as its leaders are trying to display a different image.
The Taliban does not seek any internal or external enemies, and it wants to have good relations with everybody in order to develop the nation’s economy and achieve prosperity, the group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Aug 17 at its first news conference since the Taliban’s takeover of the capital of Afghanistan on Aug 15.
“We don’t want to repeat any conflict, any war again,” he said. “Animosities have come to an end, and we would like to live peacefully. We don’t want any internal and external enemies.”
All Afghans would have representation in the future setup in Afghanistan, Mujahid said, as talks and consultations are continuing with politicians on the formation of the new government.
Women could also work and study in different fields and would be offered all rights within Islamic principles, as women are a vital part of society, he added.
The Taliban have encouraged women to return to work and have allowed girls to return to school, handing out Islamic headscarves. A female news anchor interviewed a Taliban official on Aug 16 in a TV studio.
“We have pardoned everybody for the benefit of stability or peace in Afghanistan,” Mujahid said. He also called on Afghans not to leave the country.
Mujahid reiterated that the Taliban has offered a full amnesty to Afghans who worked for the United States and the Western-backed government, saying that “nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped”.
“We would like to assure the international community that there will be no discrimination.”
The administration of US President Joe Biden said any long-term relationship with a future Afghan government would depend on respect for women’s rights and the Taliban’s rejection of extremists such as al-Qaida.
“It will be up to the Taliban to show the rest of the world who they are and how they intend to proceed,” Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters.
The European Union will only cooperate with the Afghan government following the Taliban’s return to power if it respects fundamental rights, including those of women, and prevents the use of Afghanistan’s territory by terrorists, Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, said on Aug 17.
Mujahid said at the news conference that the Taliban would not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for attacking other countries, as it was in the years before the terrorist attacks against the US on Sept 11, 2001.
“Afghanistan’s soil is not going to be used against anybody. ... We can assure the international community of that,” the spokesman said when asked about the risk of Afghanistan hosting al-Qaida militants.
However, briefs scenes of protest were reported when the Taliban flag was raised in some cities. Moreover, Amrullah Saleh, first vice president of the ousted government, has declared himself as the “legitimate caretaker President” in accordance with the constitution.
The Kabul airport had calmed after the chaos in the past few days that led to civilian tragedies. US military chiefs and diplomats, rushing US troops in, have spoken to the Taliban to ensure evacuations, with the US State Department saying it is open to keeping a presence at the Kabul airport beyond the Aug 31 end of the 20-year US war if it is safe enough.
Britain on Aug 18 announced plans to welcome up to 5,000 fleeing Afghans during the first year of a resettlement program that will prioritize women, girls and religious and other minorities.
Xinhua, Agencies, and Jonathan Powell in London contributed to this story.
