In response to the recent statements of the US Secretary of State, Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban's deputy spokesman, said that the Taliban is not isolated and that the group currently has diplomatic, political, and economic relations with many countries.
The Taliban official called on countries not to interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.
In an audio tape on Friday, December 20, the Taliban's deputy spokesman stressed that the group's commitments in the Doha Agreement are clear and they have adhered to it.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said on Thursday (December 19) that the Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which rules Damascus, must follow through on its promises to form an inclusive government and learn from the Taliban's isolation. He stressed that the rebels ruling Syria must take concrete steps to advance the country's affairs.
During the peace talks in Doha, Taliban officials spoke of changes in their views and promised to respect the rights of Afghan citizens, including women. After taking control of Afghanistan, the group reneged on calls for the formation of an inclusive government and respect for women's rights, and returned to the harsh policies of the 1990s.
"The Taliban portrayed a more moderate face when they took over Afghanistan, or at least tried to portray them as such, but their true nature was later revealed," the secretary of state told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
However, Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban's deputy spokesman, said that the recent changes that have taken place in Afghanistan are based on "Islamic law" and that other countries should not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.
He noted that the group's commitments in the Doha talks did not stipulate that other countries should interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Islamist group Tahrir al-Sham who recently took power in Damascus, says he does not want to establish a Taliban-style government in Syria. Ahmed al-Sharaa has said that unlike the Taliban leaders, he will not stop the education of women and girls.
