Taliban: Future Afghan government wants good relations with US

Bilal Karori, senior Taliban official, member of the Cultural Commission, told the Voice of America that the date for the announcement has not been set yet, but that it will become “very soon”. He spoke in response to reports that this Islamic group would announce the makeup of the government Friday.

The Taliban are under surveillance by the international community to see if they will implement pledges of a governing system with representation by all Afghan ethnic groups, which and will respect human rights, especially those of women, unlike their previous government.

“will be a comprehensive, strong and stable central system or government. We already have very good relations with a large number of countries and we don't expect any problems,” Mr. Karim Karim of America when asked if the proposal for governing organisation would provide them with much needed international recognition for the country.

Britain stressed on Friday that it would require Taliban to fulfil their pledges because <x0vepra is required, not just words”.

In comments he made in Pakistan, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Britain is following the new “reality in Afghanistan and will not see the change in the country's social and economic structure.

Our “Option is that we do not know the Taliban as a government, but we understand the importance of commitment with them to have a direct communication line,” said Mr. Raab.

Mr. Karim dismissed as the inaccurate “the media reports that the Taliban's deputy political deputy, Mullah Abdul Ghan Baradar, co-founder of the group, would be head of the new government and that the proposed governing organisation would be somewhat similar to that of neighbouring Iran.

The Taliban took over the Afghan capital last month following lightning military victories, taking control of 33 of the country's 34 provinces in about a week.

This fundamentalist group regained power in Kabul nearly 20 years after being brought down by power from US-led military intervention, under the American war to hit al-Qaeda leaders who took refuge in Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan began after the United States was attacked on 11 September 2001 by al-Qaeda operatives.

The US and other international credit organisations have frozen financial assistance programmes for Afghanistan, conditioning the relaunch of aid with the form of future Taliban governance.

Numerous challenges await this country of South Asia, destroyed and impoverished by war, including the growing humanitarian and economic crisis.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday that Washington remains “steadfast in its commitment to offering humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan. The recognition of the Taliban, however, relates to the practical steps the future Afghan government will have to take, he said.

spokesperson Price said in comments to journalists that “actors, especially on topics that are very important to us, as safe passage, respect of human rights in Afghanistan, including the rights of women and girls of minorities, a comprehensive government, a government that fulfils its commitments against terrorism and a government that respects universal and international norms”.

Taliban official Bilal Karim seemed optimistic about Kabul's future ties with Washington.

The Islamic favour is willing to maintain good diplomatic, economic and trade relations with America on the basis of mutual respect and equality,” he said.