Afghanistan’s interim FM Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday denied the presence of anti-Pakistan elements Afghanistan, assuring that the Taliban-led government was making all-out efforts to ensure that Afghan soil was not used against any country.
Muttaqi, while leading a 20-member delegation is on a three-day visit to Pakistan and expressed his views while addressing a seminar at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.
The Afghan FM also confirmed that the acting government had facilitated talks between the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistan government.
The minister, however refrained from elaborating on the role of Afghanistan’s acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who used to head the Haqqani network which is the most violent faction of the Taliban.
While addressing the seminar on Sunday, Muttaqi expressed the hope that talks between the two sides would be extended and welcomed the ceasefire reached between the Pakistan government and TTP.
“We hope that the temporary ceasefire agreed between the Pakistan government and TTP will lead to permanent peace,” he added.
It is pertinent to note that earlier this week, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had announced that a complete ceasefire had been reached between the government and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while adding that the interim Afghan government had facilitated the negotiations, a claim reiterated by the TTP itself.
To a question about the rest of the world recognising the Taliban government and allowing women to work — one of the conditions that the international community has been pressing for recognising the Taliban government — Muttaqi acknowledged that initially, the Taliban government had announced conditions for women to be able to work.
“However, those were the initial days and we have progressed,” he said, claiming that all female employees in the health sector had returned to work in Afghanistan and around 75 per cent were back to work in the education sector.
As for international recognition, he said: “What we are experiencing is that we are being treated as the official government […] and we are being basically being recognised as the de-facto Afghan government.”
“A formal announcement [of the Taliban government’s recognition] may come at a later stage,” he added.
The foreign minister maintained that the Taliban-led government met the international standards for a government to be recognised.
“Can anyone say that we have not fulfilled these requisites?” he asked rhetorically.
He remarked that there were different forms of government in different countries, and “we do not know which form to adopt for being recognised.”
To another question, he maintained that the present Taliban setup was inclusive and consisted of members from multiple ethnicities.
Earlier in the day, the interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed that he was hopeful about talks between Pakistan and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and he is sure that the talks will bear positive results.
“There have been some positive improvements and we are hopeful for a positive outcome of the talks,” the interim Afghan FM stated while adding that people shouldn’t expect the dialogue to take place over a few days as these things take time.
As reports had been surfacing that a ceasefire has been signed between the TTP and the Pakistan government to put an end to militancy in the region, the talks are reportedly being brokered by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
FM Muttaqi further said that the Afghan delegation and the Pakistani authorities talked about transit trade, refugee and visa issues among other things, while adding that there would be “good news” for Pak-Afghan ties.
As per Muttaqi, the Taliban regime demanded trade access to the Wagah border, Karachi and Gwadar ports to boost the trade.
While commenting on global recognition of the Taliban regime, he stated that ‘recognition’ meant ‘cooperation’ then the Taliban delegations were travelling around the world, meeting envoys and discussing issues pertaining to Afghanistan. “This means we have been recognised as the sole representatives of Afghanistan”
FM Muttaqi while alluding to global demands of an inclusive government and fundamental rights in Afghanistan, stated that the Taliban will fulfil demands that are beneficial to the Afghan people. “But this does not mean that the Taliban are not open to talks on contentious issues,”
Muttaqi on Women rights in Afghanistan stated that 100 per cent of Afghan women were working in the health sector, whereas in the education sector, the number was around 75 per cent. As for the education of girls, he said the education for girls will start soon across Afghanistan.
Muttaqi went on to reveal that primary schools were open in all parts of Afghanistan and secondary schools have resumed classes in a few provinces, while adding that there were 200,000 teachers in Afghanistan and the world should help the Taliban government in payment of their salaries.
The FM further stated that the ex-Afghan National Army personnel will not be integrated as the Taliban-led Afghanistan won’t have the need for such a large force. “We will have our own force soon”
The envoy concluded by stating that the Taliban founder, Mullah Omar, had directed the Taliban to use the constitution of King Zahir Shah, but the Taliban will strike down clauses that are against Islamic principles. “I am making it clear that Afghanistan is not a lawless country,” he concluded.
