Taliban Rejects UN Secretary-General’s Report As ‘False Propaganda’
The Taliban has dismissed the latest quarterly report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the situation in Afghanistan, calling it “false propaganda.”
The Taliban has dismissed the latest quarterly report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the situation in Afghanistan, calling it “false propaganda.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, 21 June, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the report sought to create unnecessary concern and portray a negative image of Afghanistan. He asserted that security across the country is better than before and that citizens are living “peacefully” under the Taliban’s rule.
Mujahid accused the United Nations and other international institutions of consistently ignoring what he described as progress in Afghanistan. He argued that minor incidents are exaggerated in such reports and that ordinary criminal acts are wrongly categorised as security threats.
“The people should not pay attention to the propaganda of malicious circles,” Mujahid said, claiming that Afghanistan is now safer than many other countries and that over two million people travelled for leisure during the Eid al-Adha holidays.
The Taliban’s response follows Guterres’ strongly worded report, released on Thursday, 19 June, in which he warned that the Taliban’s restrictive policies have deepened Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. The Secretary-General highlighted rising poverty, unemployment, natural disasters, and what he termed an “oppressive regime.”
He expressed particular concern over the impact of Taliban-enforced rules such as those imposed by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on women and girls. Guterres also noted that declining levels of international aid have worsened conditions for millions of Afghan families.
The report cited ongoing media restrictions, arbitrary arrests of journalists, and credible reports of torture and extrajudicial executions as violations of the Taliban’s promise of a general amnesty.
“The Afghan people cannot confront these crises alone,” Guterres stated, calling on the international community to remain engaged and to increase support for Afghanistan’s population.
