Observer Report Doha
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen on Wednesday rejected the allegations that the Taliban had received military assistance from Pakistan in their fight in Panjshir.
In an exclusive interview with Iranian TV channel on Wednesday, he said, “We don’t need military aids of any country while we have been fighting for 20 years against the super power and its sophisticated weapons. We have very experienced fighters and weapons.” “That is one of the propaganda we are facing.”
The spokesman said Taliban preferred to resolve the issue of Panjshir through talks but had no choice except for resorting to a military operation when those talks and reconciliation efforts failed.
Shaheen went on to say that the Taliban’s current cabinet makeup is only tentative and subject to changes, and the future government of Afghanistan shall be an inclusive one, with roles in governance assigned to leaders of other ethnicities.
Asked about international criticisms about the Taliban appointing own veteran members to senior government positions despite earlier promises to form an inclusive cabinet, Suhail Shaheen argued that the makeup of the caretaker government was dictated by urgency and that there will be changes in the future so that people from different Afghan ethnicities see themselves represented in the country’s management.
He also noted that war is over in Afghanistan and the new government is focused on rebuilding the country after a 20-year-long invasion by foreign forces.
Regarding human rights issues and women’s rights, in particular, the Taliban spokesman said, “We are committed to giving women all their basic rights but of course we are an Islamic society, we have a different culture compared to other countries.
We are committed to their access to education and to work; so, there is no issue with that.”
