No one will be allowed to use Afghan soil to target other nations: Taliban chief

In a message issued ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the reclusive Taliban chief also called on other countries not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal matters

Taliban supreme leader Hebatullah Akhundzada on Wednesday said no one will be allowed to use Afghanistan’s soil to launch attacks on other countries.

Akhundzada also made vague promises about education in Afghanistan. (File image)

In a message issued ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the reclusive Taliban chief also called on other countries not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal matters.

Akhundzada’s pledge on not allowing Afghan soil to be used for launching attacks on other countries comes against the backdrop of UN reports pointing to the presence of thousands of foreign fighters in Afghanistan, including members of al-Qaeda and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

“We assure our neighbours, the region and the world that we will not allow anyone to use our soil to threaten the security of other countries. We ask other countries not to interfere in our internal affairs,” Akhundzada said in his message.

“We want good and strong diplomatic, economic and political relations with the whole world, including the US, within the framework of mutual interaction and commitment, and we consider this in the interest of all sides,” he said.

Last month, India re re-established a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, from where it withdrew all its officials following the Taliban takeover in August last year, by deploying a “technical team” at the embassy in Kabul.

An Indian delegation led by joint secretary J P Singh, the external affairs ministry’s point person for Afghanistan, which visited Kabul prior to the deployment of the technical team, was assured by the Taliban’s acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani that the group would take action against LeT and JeM, people familiar with the matter said.

The Indian side is yet to see any action against these terror groups, though the people said the commitment by the Taliban was a marked departure from the group’s past behaviour.

Akhundzada also made vague promises about education in Afghanistan in his message.

He said the Taliban pay “special attention to the process of education, especially the education of children in terms of religion and modern education”.

The Taliban are also aware of the problems Afghan people are facing, he said. Strengthening the economy, and solving these problems are the “joint responsibility” of the Taliban and the nation, he added.

The Taliban setup’s failure to deliver on several commitments to reopen educational institutions to girls and women has been one of the main sticking points with Western powers.

Though several countries have reopened their embassies in Kabul, no country has so far officially recognised the Taliban setup.