Taliban so called Islamic Emirate or Defacto Authority Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid in an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News correspondent Abdul Raqeeb Sail published on January 25 highlighted that the Taliban has no intentions of forming an “inclusive,” government of the type desired by some in the international community, are selective in integrating government employees particularly the military and want to revamp the judiciary.
Here is a summary of the key points made by Mujahid on these issues.
Inclusive Government
Answering a question on whether the present caretaker government is an inclusive one Mr Mujahid who is nominated as the Taliban’s representative to the United Nation but has not taken over as yet as the body has yet to accept the request of representation by the group, said that the people at large have representatives in the cabinet, there are Uzbeks, Pashtuns, Tajiks and Baloch. Even though the non Pashtuns are represented only in single numbers, Mujahid claimed that this is an inclusive government.
He also stated that the World cannot demand the Taliban to form a particular type of government. “Which country has formed its government in line our choice? Why would we set up a government of their choice? Governments formed elsewhere in the world are not based on America’s choice. Inclusivity and women’s issues have not been the consideration,” he said.
He also said that the Islamic Emirate is not an entity but a network and the Taliban had problems with other groups as these have been tested once and the nation does not have a good experience with their performance thus there is no reason for giving them a second chance.
Mujahid said, “If the groups and factions that have already been tested are included again in the cabinet, it will be divided. The government will run into the same problems we have faced over the last two decades. We are not going to push the country back into crisis just for meeting demands of some individuals”.
Meeting in Iran
On the meeting by Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister met Ahmad Massoud and Ismail Khan of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan in Iran Mujahid said that while the leaders of the Front proposed a power-sharing proposals the Taliban wanted to reassure them about their security and safety of property and “did not talk to them about the system. They may have demands and would like to talk about them, but this issue was not raised by the Emirate”.
Thus clearly indicating that no power sharing will take place and the Taliban will run the government through their own representatives at the political level for Mujahid said, “No, we do not believe in power-sharing, because the 20-year crisis in our country resulted from such arrangements that also stoked ethnic and political tensions. Kabul was converted into a ruined place. Too much money poured into Afghanistan in the past 20 years. But it was embezzled due to differences and corruption. So we will never push our country into crisis again or allow divisions”.
Councils
Mujahid however claimed that the Taliban was examining options of creating Councils such as the Ulema Council and the National Council which are under consideration, refusing to go into the details.
There will be representatives of the council at the provincial level as well, thus the structure is expected to be different from that existing in the past.
Integration of Previous Government
Mujahid also claimed that 80 percent of employees of the previous government have joined and are working with the IEA whereas there are some who were involved in, “ bribery, embezzlement and theft in military or the judiciary,” who have been left out and, “not asked to return”.
The Taliban is also planning to revamp the judiciary thus the judges have not been recalled. Given the imposition of the Sharia Law the Taliban believes that the judiciary will need to be re-educated.
Mujahid confirmed that Taliban or the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [IEA] considers itself to be internationally recognized and only the formality of recognition remains which can be fulfilled in due course and has cited the privileges given to the Acting Foreign Minister Sher Khan Mottaqi as an indicator of the same.
Conclusion
The interview makes it obvious that the Taliban is not likely to change the stance on the issue of inclusiveness and rights in the near future and will trudge their own path.
Full Interview can be accessed here.