Seek Peaceful Resolution With Pakistan, Says Taliban PM
Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund says he supports dialogue and peaceful solutions to resolve issues with Pakistan.
Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund says he supports dialogue and peaceful solutions to resolve issues with Pakistan.
In an Eid al-Fitr message, he said the Taliban administration seeks to resolve problems with all sides through dialogue.
The Taliban prime minister did not attend Eid prayers at the presidential palace, and only his message was read out.
The Taliban say their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, attended Eid al-Fitr prayers at Kandahar’s Eidgah Mosque on Thursday and delivered a speech.
According to an audio recording released by the Taliban, Akhundzada, without naming Pakistan, said: If someone bombs us or targets us with artillery, you should not change your belief and faith.
Radio Television of Afghanistan under Taliban control broadcast the 46-minute speech by Akhundzada.
Much of the Taliban leader’s address focused on enforcing his decrees, unity, obedience and support for the Taliban system.
He made no reference to the recent clashes between Pakistan and the Taliban and only said towards the end of his speech: “We cannot be destroyed by bombs and aircraft.”
In another part of his remarks, he said: “We cannot be destroyed by bombs and aircraft; if it were possible, America and the Soviet Union would have eliminated us.”
He added: “This is due to the blessing of our unity, Islam, our religion and our Sharia.
Akhundzada also said that infidels are trying to create divisions among them. He criticised some media outlets, calling them anti-Islam, and said: Do not listen to Western media; they are against Islam.
The Taliban leader emphasised the implementation of his decrees and laws, saying they are meant to reform society. He added: “I am obliged, I am the leader of these Muslims and I will certainly guide them on the path of God.”
He called on everyone to remain united and support the Taliban government.
He said: “If this religion and Islam did not exist, I swear to God, you and I would now be wearing trousers and serving as servants and slaves of the Americans, NATO and Europe. Now we are free and have an unprecedented system across the world.”
Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban temporarily shut down telecommunications networks across Kandahar on Thursday during the presence of their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, at the Eidgah Mosque.
A Taliban spokesperson said the group’s leader performed Eid al-Fitr prayers and delivered a speech at the mosque.
According to the sources, Taliban special forces had deployed anti-drone systems and defensive equipment around the Eidgah Mosque.
These measures came after Pakistan in recent days carried out strikes in Kandahar, including targeting a facility linked to the Taliban leader’s special forces.
However, the Taliban and Pakistan have announced a temporary ceasefire for Eid al-Fitr.
To secure their leader, the Taliban deployed heavy weapons around the mosque, and armed Taliban personnel were also present inside.
According to the sources, all roads leading to the Eidgah Mosque had been under tight security surveillance for several days, and houses near the mosque had also been searched.
The sources added that during Akhundzada’s speech, the use of even basic mobile phones was banned inside the Eidgah Mosque.
The Taliban’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said the group is “not weak” and capable of confronting Pakistan but does not want the situation to escalate.
Speaking Wednesday at the funeral of victims of a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, Haqqani said the Taliban had the capacity to respond but sought to avoid further crisis.
He called on the people and religious scholars in Pakistan to prevent actions against civilians in Afghanistan.
Haqqani described the airstrike on Kabul as “shameful” and called for an investigation by humanitarian organisations.
He said the Taliban would respond to the incident “with full prudence”, adding that they should not be driven by revenge.
Haqqani also urged Pakistan’s Muslim community and religious leaders to stop what he described as those responsible for such actions.
A United Nations official told Reuters on Wednesday that the UN mission in Afghanistan estimates 143 people were killed in a Pakistani strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul.
The Taliban had earlier claimed that more than 400 people were killed and 265 others wounded in Monday night’s airstrike on the Afghan capital.
Pakistan has rejected the Taliban’s claim that a rehabilitation centre was targeted, saying it struck military facilities and infrastructure linked to militant groups.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said previously that “dozens” of people were killed or wounded in the attack but had not officially released a precise casualty figure.
In a statement, UNAMA said the drug treatment centre in Kabul had been “affected” by the Pakistani airstrike.
The Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has held a virtual meeting with the group’s diplomats in various countries to discuss the ongoing conflict with Pakistan.
Muttaqi urged Taliban representatives abroad to convey the group’s position on the conflict to the international community.
In a statement, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said participants in the meeting condemned what they described as Pakistan’s “brutal” airstrike on Monday night near a drug rehabilitation centre.
Taliban diplomats in different countries described the attack as a clear violation of humanitarian principles.
The statement added that Muttaqi issued instructions to Taliban diplomats regarding the group’s position, policies and future actions in response to Pakistan.