Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said the group’s administration is working to bring Afghans together under what he described as a single “Islamic and national position.”
He argued that the country had previously been divided along political, ethnic, regional and linguistic lines.
Baradar made the remarks on Thursday during a ceremony marking the start of construction on the Kabul–Bagram road. He described Afghanistan’s political, ethnic and linguistic diversity as “meaningless divisions” and a “problem,” saying the Taliban is seeking to eliminate such differences.
International organisations, however, have accused the Taliban of establishing a largely mono-ethnic and male-dominated government. The United Nations, the European Union and several countries have repeatedly urged the Taliban to form an inclusive administration representing Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic groups and social segments, while respecting human rights.
Baradar said the Taliban had taken a “fundamental step” towards what he called a unified Islamic and national vision by standardising the school curriculum for madrassas and public schools up to sixth grade.
In one of his final reports of 2025, Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said the Taliban’s failure to address grievances risked increasing tensions with ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also reported that the Taliban cabinet is composed almost entirely of members of a single ethnic group.
The Taliban have also faced accusations of imposing “gender apartheid” by excluding women from public life.
Call for Engagement
Baradar urged Afghans to “stop blindly imitating others” and not to be influenced by external narratives, according to a statement from his office, though he did not elaborate.
“We have not prevented anyone, nor is the capacity of the Islamic Emirate so limited that it would treat every individual and minor issue as serious,” Baradar said. “Afghanistan is the home of Afghans, and every individual can live here in peace and return to the country.”
Addressing regional and global countries, Baradar emphasised the importance of constructive engagement with Afghanistan. The international community has set conditions for engagement with the Taliban, including respect for human rights and international law, the formation of an inclusive government and action against terrorism.
He said countries are interdependent in areas such as geography, airspace, labour, raw materials, exports and imports, adding that these needs can be met when states “have the courage to engage within the framework of official relations, which is in everyone’s interest.”
Kabul–Bagram Road Project
Baradar also inaugurated construction work on the Kabul–Bagram road on Thursday. According to his office, the road will be 6.2 kilometres long and about 50 metres wide, with an estimated cost of 455 million afghanis funded by the Taliban administration.
He said the project would improve connectivity between Kabul, Parwan province and other northern provinces.
