Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made numerous sweeping claims in a Tuesday press conference saying the Taliban is focused on forming a government in Afghanistan, will observe women’s rights and has “pardoned” wartime enemies.
“We have all borders under control,” Mujahid told reporters at the first media conference in Kabul since its takeover by the Taliban. He promised that a government is “seriously” being formed and “it will be announced after completion.”
Amid the ongoing chaos in Afghanistan as the US has struggled to get military allies out of the country as Taliban fighters have moved in on previous strongholds, including the capital city of Kabul, Mujahid said enemies of the Taliban have been “pardoned.”
“We have pardoned everybody for the benefit of stability or peace in Afghanistan,” he said. He added, however, that those who have died in the past few days as the Taliban has reclaimed land hold sole responsibility for their deaths.
“Those whose lives have been lost as a result of fighting for the enemy, this was their own fault. We conquered the whole country in a matter of days,” he said.
Despite this sentiment, Mujahid assured that translators and allies to the US military will not be interrogated or “treated with revenge.”
“Nobody is going to knock on their door and ask them who they have been working for,” he said, adding that many younger Afghanistan citizens are “assets” that should remain in the country.
Quite the moment: After Mujahid says Taliban have announced all encompassing amnesty, Afghan reporter asks — do you think the people of Afghanistan will forgive you too for the explosions and suicide bombings? Mujahid’s response: “colateral damage” happens. https://t.co/0ScREx7Tod
Mujahid did not give too many specifics about this new “government” being formed, but he did touch on how some issues would be handled, including press freedom. While Mujahid promised the press can remain “free and independent,” it must also work “within our cultural framework.”
The Taliban will not, however, accept “any media practices in our country against Islam and Muslims,” Mujahid later promised.
Taliban spokesman “Zabiullah Mujahid”: “If any media broadcast anything against Sharia Law, they will be shut down…they must serve Afghanistan’s national values.” pic.twitter.com/V8g8mP7IPA
He similarly said women will have the right to work and study, but only “within our framework,” not specifically explaining what kind of limitations this “framework” will present in this potential new government.
Taliban spokesman: “The Islamic Emirate pledges to grant women the full rights granted to them by Sharia and law” I mean this is all up to the interpretation of Quran and the Islamic values. There is Turkey, there is Iran. A bit ambiguous
Womens’ rights, Mujahid said, will be “under the system of [Sharia law],” which many in the international community have argued impedes basic human rights. Mujahid made the diplomatic argument on Tuesday that Afghanistan has no “problems with the international community” and only wants their “right to act according to our religious principles” to be respected.
Mujahid also promised a country free of narcotics, but insisted that help would be needed from other countries as Afghanistan needs “alternative crops” to replace the booming poppy fields in the country, which have created a steady stream of opium and narcotics production – something the Taliban has made clear it will be seeking to stop.
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