Kabul/Doha, Oct 12 (UNI) The Taliban regime’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan sent the message of good relationship to the world and the region, and that it does not want to interfere in any country’s internal affairs and expects the same from other countries. Speaking at an event organised by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies on Monday, Muttaqi said: “Afghanistan has sent the message of positive relationship with the whole world. “We do not want to interfere in any country’s internal affairs, and we expect the same from other countries to not interfere in our internal affairs,” Tolo News quoted him as saying. Muttaqi spoke about Afghanistan’s geographical location and said it serves as a crossroads in the region and that the Islamic Emirate is trying to fully use this capacity.
“The Islamic Emirate is determined to fully utilise the capacity of Afghanistan being a crossroad and be part of an economic revolution,” Muttaqi added. Muttaqi and his accompanying delegation are in Doha as they concluded a two-day meeting with US officials this week. Muttaqi said the full implementation of the Doha agreement signed between the United States and the Islamic Emirate can address any problem between the two countries, and urged for adhering to the contents of the deal. Muttaqi said the Islamic Emirate wants a political system in Afghanistan that can respond to its domestic needs and that the international community should understand the difference between Afghanistan and other countries. “What we want in Afghanistan is a political structure as such that responds to our country’s needs and at the same time is able to fulfil its responsibility at the international level,” Muttaqi said, adding that the Islamic Emirate believes in diversity and accepts diversity in Afghanistan.
When asked about reforms, women’s education and their right to work, Muttaqi said the world should not put pressure on the Islamic Emirate and instead, it should cooperate in bringing reforms. According to him, the former government with massive support from the international community was not able to bring all reforms in 20 years, “but now the international community wants us to make such reform in a few months.” “You should not seek your demands through putting pressure on us. Ask us through cooperation,” Muttaqi said “The previous government “had strong international support. Now you are asking for all the reforms in two months.” He added that when the Islamic Emirate entered Kabul, schools were already closed due to Covid-19 and that they are now reopening schools across the country. “Schools for boys and girls were closed because of Covid.
When Kabul fell to our hands, all schools were closed already. We have started reopening the schools,” Muttaqi said. He added that under the new government, Covid-19 has been controlled “very well” and that it has surprised doctors. Muttaqi said the Islamic Emirate wanted to enter Kabul through negotiations, but after the fleeing of former president Ashraf Ghani and evacuation of outposts by security forces, they were asked by Kabul residents to enter the city and take the responsibility of providing security. “We wanted to enter Kabul through negotiations, but the fact the ex-president and the security organs fled, Kabul faced the gap of power, there was a vacuum, so we were asked to enter Kabul and ensure the security of the city,” he claimed. The Taliban took over power in Kabul on August 15.