Taliban say Afghan government will report soon

The Taliban shocked the world over the weekend when they took over Kabul, while taking over in just a week over 34 provinces making up Afghanistan.

The Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, said Taliban leaders are involved in pressing “discussions with other rival groups and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban political office is located.

“Brenda a few days, of course, will have a transfer of power”, said the spokesman for the Voice of America during a call from Qatar's capital.

“Dictions and talks are under way to form a comprehensive Afghan Islamic government. The formation of the government will soon be announced. ”

The United States and the international community, in general, have pledged that they will not recognise any strongly imposed government in Kabul, fearing that Taliban rule will prolong civil war and threaten human rights in that country.

Women's rights constitute a particular concern, while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban Monday to protect the hard-earned rights of Afghan women and girls”.

Analysts say international legitimacy for any future government is crucial to ensuring that the war-torn country continues to receive much needed aid for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

spokesperson Sahen said the Taliban are determined to organise a comprehensive governing system to address international concerns, repeating that the Taliban do not believe in a monopoly of power.

“We believe that the power monopoly has not worked in the past. So that's why we want to have Afghan fighters and politicians in the next government, so that we can have a lasting peace in the country and open a new chapter of peace, co-existence and tolerance, as well as the reconstruction of Afghanistan”, he said.

The Shaheen spokesman refused to state clearly whether Afghan women will be part of the next government.

“Linked to women, we have already announced that they can have access to work and education by respecting hijab. Today, you may have seen women dressed in hyjab and doing their work”, he said.

News leaders at leading Afghan television stations continue to work without interruptions but cover their heads with a headscarf or hyjab.

spokesperson Shaheen said the Taliban announced on Tuesday a “containing” for all, including government officials, and urged them to return to work.

Kabul Roads

Residents in Kabul say that life was returning to normality in the city of more than six million people as they drove out of their homes.

A private channel reporter “Tolo News” could be seen on the streets reporting on the situation, but acknowledging that very few women were seen on the city markets. She said women were afraid of the unknown. A reporter was seen interviewing a Taliban official.

However, there have been reports of incidents elsewhere in Afghanistan, while women complained they were being harassed by Taliban. The spokesman Shaheen dismissed the reports as baseless, saying that such slander was spread by people seeking to disseminate the Taliban.

In Kabul, the so-called Taliban commission for complaints was quickly established. Officials there have asked residents to contact the commission with any complaints of harassment or violence so that they can be addressed.

Taliban officials have also visited government offices and hospitals to ensure employees and women do not worry and continue performing their duties as usual.

Taliban Rule

During Taliban rule from 1996 until 2001, when they fell from power after American intervention, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan through a strict interpretation of the Koran and the law of Sheriat.

A whip in the back of the legs of the “Ministry for the Spread of Virtue and Prevention of Squiries” was a common measure for those late for prayer meal.

Public frustrations, the cutting off of limbs for thieves, and even executions were scheduled to take place on Fridays on several occasions at the national stadium. Women were primarily forbidden to work or study, and they were forced to keep in public clothing that covers the body, called the stock.

After taking over the capital, Kabul, the Taliban are patrolling the city with small motorcades.

“They don't bother people, but of course people are afraid”, a storekeeper told the French news agency, AFP, on condition.

Meanwhile, evacuation flights to Kabul International Airport resumed Tuesday, following a chaotic day when thousands of people flocked to the airport, while diplomats and civilians tried to leave Afghanistan.

In another development, Amir Khan Muttaki, senior Taliban leader and member of the Doha-based group's political office, arrived in the Afghan capital, where his delegation held meetings with former President Hamid Karzai and Mr Abdullah Abdullah, head of the National Council of Convention.

Discussions focused on security and governance issues, a Taliban official told Voice of America on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

“We are in contact with leaders of the respected Islamic Taliban movement”, Mr. Karzai said in a video statement after meeting with Abdullah. The video was posted on the former president's official Facebook page. /voa