Afghanistan’s interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund has urged former Afghan officials – who worked with the US and the former Afghanistan government – to return to the country.
In his first interview since taking the office, Akhund implored the former officials to hold return to their duties adding that the Taliban government would guarantee their security.
Akhund – who was a close associate of the founder of the Taliban Mullah Omar – said that his government would take care of the security of the foreign diplomats, embassies, and other humanitarian institutions. He said that the group wants to establish strong ties with governments in the region and afar.
He agreed that the Taliban face “a great responsibility and test” in the upcoming years.
“We have suffered huge losses in money and lives for this historical moment in the history of Afghanistan,” He added. “The stage of bloodshed, killing, and contempt for people in Afghanistan has ended, and we have paid dearly for this.”
Akhund reiterated the Taliban’s commitment to a general amnesty for everyone. He said, “No one will be able to prove that he was subjected to revenge. And in such tense circumstances, it is easy to do what you want. But the movement is disciplined and controls its gunmen. And, we have not harmed anyone because of his previous actions.”
Earlier, the announcement of the interim government caused a great debate among the critics of the armed group that the interim setup had excluded women, minorities, and other political groups.
The interim government has 33 roles. 14 of these are given to veteran Taliban leaders, 12 are offered to officials from the second generation of the movement, and former Guantanamo detainees hold the 5 remaining roles.
So far, China and Uzbekistan have expressed their willingness to cooperate with the interim government whereas the European and United Nations have expressed their disapproval. In a statement, the US said that the Taliban would be judged for their actions but they warned that the government which excluded all the other factions of the country was likely to fail in the future.
