‘Non-recognition of our govt in Afghanistan benefitting ISIS-K’: Taliban
Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that recognising the Taliban regime and support in the form of international assistance would lead to recovery for Afghanistan’s economy.
In the aftermath of the gruesome bombing at a Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s Kandahar, the Islamist militant group Taliban – which now controls the country, have said that non-recognition of their interim government is benefitting the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K). Notably, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the bombing incident that took the lives of 47 people while leaving 70 more injured.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that the recognition of the Taliban regime in the country and support in the form of international assistance would pave the way to recovery for Afghanistan’s economy.
However, Muttaqi refuted any concerns that the ISIS-K posed any threat to Afghanistan.
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Meanwhile, Ariana News reported the Taliban minister as saying that freezing of Afghan foreign reserves by the United States violated international law and human rights. “The real question is, why was this money blocked? What did the citizens of Afghanistan do?” he told Ariana News.
On one hand, Muttaqi said, the US and other countries talk about the need to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and respect human rights, on the other hand, “they leave the Afghan people with a population of about 40 million without basic necessities.”
His statements come only days after the US-European Union (EU) delegation pledged $1.2 billion in aid to Afghanistan during the Islamist group’s first in-person talks with the international community in Qatar. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced the aid package, aimed at averting a “major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse,” at a virtual G20 summit hosted by Italy, AFP reported.
Leyen, however, had highlighted that the aid is “direct support” for Afghans and not the interim Taliban government because the EU does not recognise them.
Most countries have been against recognising the Taliban regime in Afghanistan owing to their history of brutalities during their earlier rule in the 90s.
Meanwhile, the ISIS-K that currently remains the biggest threat to Afghanistan’s road to peace achievement, has issued a warning to Shia Muslims, saying that they will be targeted by the terrorist group everywhere, including their homes and centres. The ISIS-K’s weekly ‘Al Naba’ has published the warning, mentioning that Shia Muslims are perilous. Taliban’s commander of police in Kandahar, Abdul Ghafar Muhammadi, said that his forces will work alongside local volunteers to safeguard the Shia mosques in the province.
(With inputs from ANI)