UN Rep & Chinese Ambassador In Kabul Discuss Third Doha Meet

The council called on political and military groups opposing the Taliban to unite in the fight against them. On Saturday, June 15, the NRCA stated that Afghanistan under Taliban rule lacks a legitimate and legal system.

According to the council, this year’s Eid al-Adha is celebrated while the Taliban have deprived women and girls of all basic human rights, especially the rights to education and work. The statement added that, in addition to depriving women and girls of their basic human rights, the Taliban have continued "killings, torture, and usurpation of people's property."

The council urged regional and global powers, which have so far engaged in one-sided interactions with the Taliban, to reconsider their approach. The NRCA warned countries currently signing various economic agreements with the Taliban that these contracts are illegal and illegitimate, and that the Taliban use the benefits from these contracts to promote violence and foster terrorism.

The council emphasised that stability and peace in Afghanistan can only be achieved through a government founded on public will and free, fair elections. The council also called on Afghanistan's neighbouring countries to refrain from forcibly expelling Afghan migrants and to wait until conditions for a peaceful and humane existence are established in Afghanistan.

Recently, Iran's ambassador in Kabul declared Afghanistan a part of the "axis of resistance" and mentioned that "martyrdom" forces from Afghanistan would go to Gaza if needed.

Al-Akhbar, a newspaper affiliated with Hezbollah in Lebanon, reported that Taliban leaders have promised Iranian officials to send fighters to Lebanon in support of Hezbollah against Israel.

Following Israel's military attack on the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah has clashed with the Israeli army, with the conflict intensifying in recent days. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is a militia group supported by Iran.

In recent months, Taliban leaders and Hamas have held several meetings, with the Taliban expressing support for Palestinian militant groups against Israel.

In February, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's special representative for Afghanistan, stated that although Afghanistan is not close to Gaza, it is part of the "axis of resistance."

Iran refers to groups it supports and others fighting against the Western coalition and Israel as the "axis of resistance."

Qomi's statements sparked widespread reactions in Afghanistan. On 8 February 2024, Al-Mirsad, a media outlet affiliated with Taliban intelligence agency, challenged Iran's regional policy, questioning why Iran does not order Hezbollah to fight directly against Israel "instead of killing Sunnis in Syria."

Husam Badran, a member of Hamas' political bureau, said in an interview with the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency in February that the Afghans’ jihad and the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan have been inspiring for Hamas.

The Taliban and Iran have maintained close relations, with Iranian and Taliban officials travelling between Kabul and Tehran numerous times over the past three years.

The Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani government had declared Sunday as Arafah and Monday as Eid.

Shahadat posted a video on the social platform X, stating that "thousands" of people performed the Eid prayer at the Islamic Party Grand Mosque. The images show a large number of worshipers engaged in prayer.

The Shahadat newspaper did not mention the exact location of the prayer, but some sources indicated that the mosque is located in the Shamshato Camp in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, the Taliban declared Sunday as Arafah and Monday as Eid. This decision has elicited numerous reactions from politicians and citizens on social networks.

The Taliban declared Monday as Eid, even though several senior officials of the group who are on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia celebrated Eid on Sunday. Some users have pointed out this "contradiction" in the Taliban's announcement of the Eid day.

Mujahid stated that the composition of the delegation representing the group in Doha will be announced soon.

The third Doha meeting, hosted by the United Nations and attended by special representatives of countries on Afghan affairs, is scheduled to take place on June 30 and July 1.

Mujahid mentioned that the Taliban have discussed the agenda of the meeting with the United Nations and have deemed it beneficial for Afghanistan.

Previously, the Taliban had set conditions for participating in the third Doha meeting. These conditions included setting their desired agenda, granting the group Afghanistan's seat in the United Nations, and not inviting members of civil society to the meeting.

The Taliban also requested that the United Nations refrain from appointing a new special representative for Afghanistan.

It is not yet clear to what extent the United Nations has accepted the Taliban's conditions.

Zaeef explained that any "emir" who gains absolute power will gradually become an "absolute tyrant”.

According to Abdul Salam Zaeef, after an emir becomes a tyrant, he surrounds himself with flatterers and distances himself from knowledgeable and wise individuals.

This well-known diplomat of the Taliban, during the first rule of the group, wrote on X social media platform on Saturday, that over time, the decisions and orders of the emir are shaped by flattery.

Zaeef has suggested that a "powerful leadership council" could fill the void of an emir.

Zaeef, who held significant government positions during Mullah Omar's era, was arrested in Pakistan after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and then, transferred to Guantanamo Bay prison.

After spending three years there, he was released from Guantanamo in 2005. Subsequently, during Hamid Karzai's presidency, he established a religious foundation named "Afghan Foundation" in Kabul.

In his note on X, Zaeef cited the neglect and abuse of responsibilities, as well as the mixing of personal desires with Sharia by the emir and his close associates, as other factors leading to the decline of Islamic societies.

This prominent Taliban figure emphasised that it is crucial for anyone taking on a responsibility not to neglect their duties. He insisted that if a person is not competent for the assigned responsibility, they should resign to allow someone else to take their place.

Zaeef also stated that it is important for law and Sharia to be implemented without "personal whims”. According to him, if decisions are made based on personal desires, it will cause division and disobedience.