Stance of Russia, China, & US Commendable, Says Taliban Spokesperson
The Taliban spokesperson announced that on the second day of the Doha meeting, there was a commitment to lift economic and banking restrictions on the group.
The Taliban spokesperson announced that on the second day of the Doha meeting, there was a commitment to lift economic and banking restrictions on the group.
Zabihullah Mujahid praised the stances of representatives from Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and the United States.
In a post on X social media platform, Mujahid noted that most countries expressed support for Afghanistan's private sector during the second day of the Doha meeting.
Zabihullah Mujahid, head of the Taliban delegation, urged participants of the third Doha meeting to release Afghanistan's Central Bank reserves and lift financial and banking sanctions on the group.
Mujahid emphasised that for the Doha process to be "meaningful," an alternative to poppy cultivation should be financially supported.
He also called for the formation of a working group among participants of the Doha meeting to achieve these objectives.
On Monday, the Taliban released an audio file of Mujahid's speech, the head of their delegation at the third Doha meeting.
In his address, Mujahid detailed the group's proposals and conditions for making the Doha process "meaningful”. He stressed that accepting these proposals would help "build confidence" between the Taliban and other participants in Doha.
Meanwhile, Zakir Jalali, an official from the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, stated on the X social media platform that progress on these demands would impact the group's ongoing cooperation with the Doha process.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, reported that he met with the Norwegian representative at the venue of the third Doha meeting.
Mujahid, who leads the Taliban delegation at the Doha meeting, stated that Norway has a "positive" outlook on Afghanistan.
On Monday, he posted a note on X social media platform, mentioning that Norway emphasised on strengthening relations with Afghanistan under Taliban control.
The Norwegian representative's meeting with the Taliban delegation comes after Norway hosted a meeting between representatives of Afghan civil society and members of the Taliban earlier in May.
At the end of the first day of the UN meeting in Doha, which included Taliban representatives, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) reported an attack on the Taliban in Kabul.
According to the AFF, this "guerrilla operation" targeted a Taliban checkpoint in Bagh-e Bala area, resulting in the deaths of three Taliban members and the injury of one.
A video shared by the front on X social media platform, allegedly belonging to this incident, shows an explosion on a relatively dark and busy road.
The exact location and details of the explosion remain unclear.
Taliban have not yet commented on this regard.
AFF announced the attack after the conclusion of the first day of the UN meeting on Afghanistan, which took place on Sunday.
Concurrently, the National Resistance Front reported that its forces had attacked Taliban patrol forces in the "Qala-e-Nazer" area of Kabul on Saturday, claiming that two Taliban fighters were killed, and two others were injured.
Taliban representatives attended the Doha meeting at the invitation of the UN. However, the UN did not invite representatives from other military, political, and civil groups in Afghanistan.
This exclusion has been widely condemned by Afghan political groups and civil activists, with some calling for a boycott of the meeting.
Several prominent human rights figures and women's rights activists, including former Minister of Women's Affairs Habiba Sarabi, Zubaida Akbar, and Nabila Mosleh, declined the UN's invitation to attend side meetings at the event.
On Sunday, the Canadian Foreign Ministry in a statement expressed extreme disappointment regarding the absence of women’s rights advocates, religious and ethnic minorities, and human rights activists at the main Doha meeting.
The ministry stated that without the meaningful and equal participation of Afghan women in the Doha meeting, none of the goals of this meeting would be achieved.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry expressed dissatisfaction with the UN for not allowing figures independent of the Taliban to attend the main Doha meeting.
Canada considered the full, equal, and meaningful participation of Afghan women in the Doha meeting a fundamental principle for the women, peace, and security agenda and stated that achieving a peaceful, stable, and inclusive Afghanistan also depends on women's participation.
Like the United States, Canada sent a representative to Doha despite criticising the composition of the meeting participants.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry said it "consulted with Afghan civil society, human rights groups, and women to hear their concerns”.
The ministry stated that Canada will use its platform at this meeting to amplify the voices of those who have spoken out about human rights abuses committed by the Taliban but were not invited to the main event.
One of Canada's demands from the UN at the Doha meeting is the appointment of a special representative with strong expertise in human rights and gender issues to be appointed in due time.
Additionally, the special representative should be responsible for implementing the roadmap outlined in the 2023 report of the UN Special Coordinator and UN Security Council Resolution 2721.
Canada once again called for the lifting of restrictions on women and girls and their meaningful participation in Afghan society.
The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, in response to the third Doha meeting, stated that the United Nations has ignored Afghan women and insulted the country's political factions.
The council claimed that the third Doha meeting was held in violation of UN principles.
This council, composed of a group of Afghan politicians in exile, asserted that the absence of women and influential Afghan figures at the meeting indicates its failure.
In a statement, the council said: "Holding the third Doha meeting betrays the demands of the Afghan people and facilitates human rights violations and misogyny by giving the Taliban an opportunity to be present."