No Member of Former Afghan Security Forces Harmed By Taliban, Claims Group’s Deputy PM | Afghanistan International

However, several reports have indicated that the Taliban has arrested, tortured, and killed dozens of former members of Afghan security forces despite a general amnesty announced by the group.

In more than one and a half years, Afghanistan International has reported numerous cases of murder and torture of members of the security forces of the previous government.

Many human rights organisations have also confirmed that the Taliban have detained, tortured, and in some cases killed several soldiers of the previous government.

However, Abdul Kabir said that there may have been problems due to "personal animosities", but this behaviour does not represent the Taliban's official policy. He claimed that the perpetrators of such actions within the Taliban have been addressed through the judicial system.

He clarified that Taliban members are acting according to the amnesty order and "all Afghans who used to work in any position with any regime are now living a peaceful and prosperous life in Afghanistan”.

Abdul Kabir informed these generals that if needed, the Taliban will use their experience.

In the statement, it has been said that General Afzal Aman and General Shoor Gul Pashtun spoke on behalf of former army generals in the meeting with Abdul Kabir. Afzal Aman was the general commander of the Kabul Garrison during the republic, and Shoor Gul Pashtun was the commander of the Thunder Corps.

General Dadan Lawang, and General Zaman Waziri, two other former army corps commanders, had been present in the meeting too.

The Taliban statement quoted these generals as saying that all employees and soldiers of the previous government are happy with the Taliban's "general amnesty".

The statement also quoted these generals and claimed that about 70 percent of the soldiers of the previous government are currently living in Afghanistan peacefully.

Taliban also said that these generals declared their readiness to cooperate with the group’s government.

These former senior army officials had previously met with Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban's defense minister.

General Afzal Aman, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the previous government of Afghanistan, had said in a meeting with the Minister of Defense of the Taliban that he is not afraid of cooperating with the government of this group.

Taliban FM Asks For Group’s Participation in Regional Summits on Afghanistan

Mar 23, 2023, 12:49 GMT+0

The Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has asked regional countries to invite the Taliban to regional meetings. Muttaqi stressed that the presence of Taliban representatives adds to the importance of the Central Asian meetings related to Afghanistan.

The Taliban foreign minister discussed the Taliban’s participation in regional initiatives on Afghanistan during a meeting with Abdul Aziz Kamilov, Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan in Kabul.

The Taliban have repeatedly requested the presence of their representatives in meetings related to Afghanistan.

The Taliban was not invited to the Moscow consultative meeting on Afghanistan in 2022. At that time, the group called the meeting incomplete without the presence of Taliban representatives.

the Taliban foreign ministry in a statement said that Muttaqi appreciated Uzbekistan's "positive position" about Afghanistan. Muttaqi has also said that he hopes that the two countries will find solutions to common issues through bilateral relations.

The Uzbekistan special representative for Afghanistan has said that Tashkent is ready to advise the Taliban on agriculture and water management issues.

Kamilov also added that his country intends to increase the bilateral trade in Afghanistan to one billion dollars.

Taliban Responds To UN Call, Says Group Is not Against Education for Women & Girls

Mar 23, 2023, 11:54 GMT+0

Markus Potzel, UN deputy special representative in Kabul, has urged the Taliban to reopen educational centers for Afghan girls. During a meeting with Potzel, Taliban’s deputy prime minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir said that the group is not against the education of women and girls.

In a statement issued by the Taliban, Potzel has been quoted as saying that the UNAMA mission in Afghanistan has been extended for another year.

According to the Taliban’s statement, Potzel appreciated the message shared by Mawlawi Abdul Kabir on the occasion of International Women's Day.

The Taliban’s statement also stressed that Kabir expressed gratitude for Potzel's proposal to reopen foreign embassies in Kabul.

The Taliban have banned the right to education of Afghan women and girls until further notice.

Women Rights Activist Released from Taliban Detention

Mar 23, 2023, 10:06 GMT+0

Relatives of a women rights’ activist Wahida Moharrami confirmed to Afghanistan International on Thursday that she has been released from the Taliban prison. Three days ago, the Taliban had abducted and detained Moharrami in Kabul.

On International Women's Day this year, Wahida Moharrami had called the Taliban's restrictions on women gender apartheid.

Muharrami was out of her home to participate in a Nowroz celebration programme, but did not return home.

The Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the reasons for the arrest and release of this women rights activist.

Nowroz Is Part of An Afghan’s National Identity, Says Former FM

Mar 23, 2023, 08:36 GMT+0

Former foreign minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar described the celebration of Nowroz as a "fundamental cultural right" and "part of the national identity" of Afghans. Atmar urged the Taliban to respect the "fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of Afghanistan”.

Atmar emphasised that the celebration of Nowroz among the people of present-day Afghanistan "has a history of more than two thousand five hundred years”.

The former foreign minister of Afghanistan said on Wednesday that considering the ancient civilisation of Afghanistan and the customs of other Islamic countries in the region, the Taliban cannot provide convincing reasons for their ban on Nowroz.

The Taliban's Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice banned the celebration of Nowroz in Afghanistan.

Muslim countries such as Iran and Tajikistan also celebrate Nowroz as an ancient festival.

Three ISIS Members Killed in Kabul, Claims Taliban Spokesperson

Mar 22, 2023, 12:52 GMT+0

Taliban announced that the group has killed three ISIS members in district 12 of Kabul city on Tuesday night. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, claimed that these people had planned to target holy shrines and civilians during the month of Ramadan.

The Taliban spokesman said that the group has seized "weapons, and explosives" from these ISIS members.

While the Taliban regularly reports about operations against ISIS members inside Afghanistan, the group's foreign minister recently claimed that ISIS does not exist in Afghanistan.

In a conversation with the Taliban-controlled national television, Amir Khan Muttaqi said that those ISIS members who are fighting with the Taliban are "foreigners" who entered Afghanistan from outside the country.