Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers are committed to the education and activities of girls and women, marking the departure of their former regime, and they seek international "mercy and compassion" to help millions of Afghan people in need, a senior Taliban leader said. In a rare interview.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also told the Associated Press that the Taliban government wanted good relations with all countries and had no problem with the United States.
He has called on Washington and other nations to release more than $10 billion from the frozen Taliban on Aug. 15, following the immediate attack on Afghan troops and the secret flight of US-backed President Ashraf Ghazi.
"The sanctions against Afghanistan ... will not be effective," Muttaqi said on Sunday, speaking in his Pashto language during an interview at the pale Foreign Minister's residence in the center of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.
"Making Afghanistan unstable or having a weak Afghan government is useless," said Muttaqi, his aides including former government workers and those recruited from the Taliban.
Muttaqi acknowledged international outrage over the Taliban's restrictions on the education of girls and women in the workplace.
In many parts of Afghanistan, female high school students between the ages of seven and 12 have not been allowed to attend school since taking office, and many government officials have been told to stay home.
Taliban officials said they needed time to implement gender-segregated programs in schools and workplaces that meet their definition of Islam.
'We'll get more information in time'
When they came to power from 1996-2001, the Taliban shocked the world by banning girls and women from school and work, preventing much entertainment and sports, and occasionally killing people in front of huge crowds at stadiums.
But Muttaqi said the Taliban had changed since they last ruled.
“We have made administrative and political progress ... in working with the nation and the world. Every day we will get more experience and improve, "he said.
He said under the new Taliban government, girls were in grade 12 in 10 of the country's 34 provinces, private schools, and universities that work without hindrance and 100 percent of women who have ever worked in the health sector have returned to work.
This shows that we are legally committed to women's participation," she said.
He said the Taliban did not understand their opponents, instead of declaring ordinary amnesty and providing some protection.
Former government leaders remain unarmed in Kabul, he said, although most have fled.
Last month, the international organization Human Rights Watch published a report claiming that the Taliban had assassinated more than 100 police officers and intelligence officials in four provinces. However, there were no reports of major retaliation.
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Muttaqi sued the Afghan government that took power after the US-led coalition overthrew the Taliban regime in 2001 and carried out a series of aggressive attacks on the Taliban.
Hundreds disappeared or were killed, causing thousands to flee to the mountains, he said. The Taliban were ousted for capturing al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, who became the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US.
Muttaqi emphasized poverty and the dream of a better life - not fear - forced thousands of Afghans to rush to Kabul airport in mid-August in hopes of reaching the United States.
Mutaqqi admits that the Taliban made mistakes in the first months of his tenure
The human crash produced hot images of men clinging to the American exit C-17, with some falling to the ground as the wheels backed up.
He said the Taliban had made mistakes in their first months in office and that "we will work for more reforms that will benefit the nation." He did not elaborate on the errors or omissions that were likely to occur.
Muttaqi has dismissed remarks made by U.S. Navy General Frank McKenzie, who told the AP last week that the al-Qaida group had grown steadily inside Afghanistan since US troops were leaving in late August. McKenzie is a senior military commander in Washington, Middle East.
In a February 2020 treaty outlining the terms of withdrawal of American troops, the Taliban had pledged to fight terrorism and barred terrorist groups from fleeing.
Muttaqi said on Sunday the Taliban had kept that promise, as well as a promise that it would not attack US troops and NATO during the last phase of the withdrawal that ended in late August.
"Unfortunately, there are (always) allegations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but there is no evidence," Muttaqi said. “If McKenzie has any evidence, he should give it. I can confidently say that this is baseless. ”
Meanwhile, Islamic State terrorists have intensified attacks on Taliban insurgents and minority religions over the past four months. An IS-based group in Afghanistan targeted Shia temples in the provincial capital Kunduz and Kandahar and regularly attacked Taliban vehicles.
Muttaqi said however that the Taliban had gained power in recent weeks, adding that there had been no major attacks last month. Washington's ability to track IS operations in Afghanistan has been crippled since the withdrawal of troops.
Muttaqi said he did not consider joining the US in a war against terrorist groups.
However, he expressed optimism that, in the long run, "the United States will gradually change its policy towards Afghanistan" as it sees evidence that a viable independent Taliban is a boon to America.
"My last point is to America, the nation of America: You are a great and great nation 'and' you must have enough patience and heart to try to make policies for Afghanistan based on international law and withdrawal and end divisions to make the distance between us short and choose good relations with Afghanistan. "
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