The Taliban said on Friday that it did not believe in monopoly of power but insisted that the fighters will not lay down the weapons until a new government acceptable to all is installed and President Ashraf Ghani is sent packing.
In an interview with an international news agency, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen explained the group’s stance on what should come next in the war-torn country.
The Taliban has made rapid advances as it has taken control of strategic border crossings as the last United States and NATO soldiers leave Afghanistan after two decades of war.
Shaheen said that there will be no peace in Afghanistan until Ghani is removed as President of the country.
“I want to make it clear that we do not believe in the monopoly of power because any governments who (sought) to monopolise power in Afghanistan in the past, were not successful governments,” said Shaheen, adding: “So we do not want to repeat that same formula.”
He said that Ghani has no right to govern the country, resurrecting allegations of fraud in 2019 election when Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah declared themselves president.
Later, both Ghani and Abdullah reached a deal under which the former became president and the latter heads the reconciliation council.
The Taliban spokesperson said that under this new negotiated government, women will be allowed to work, go to school, and take part in politics but they will have to wear the hijab.
He said women would be required to leave their homes along with a male relative.
He said that Taliban currently has no plans to make a military push on Kabul.
Talking about the capture of district, Shaheen contended that the Taliban had taken most of the districts through negotiations, not fighting.
“Those districts which have fallen to us and the military forces who have joined us … were through mediation of the people, through talks,” he said.
“They (did not fall) through fighting … it would have been very hard for us to take 194 districts in just eight weeks.”
“You know, no one wants a civil war, including me,” said Shaheen.
He also rejected the allegations that Taliban had threatened the journalists.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/turkey-plans-talks-with-taliban/
