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dpa
Kabul
The Taliban was said to be on the verge of forming a government on Wednesday, after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told dpa there was still no exact information about the timing.
He also left open whether Taliban leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada would appear in public for the first time since the Islamists took power.
“We are waiting,” Mujahid said.
A senior Taliban leader later said that the new Taliban government, which is expected in the coming days, will not include any high-ranking officials from the previous governments in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the BBC, the deputy head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, said the militant group is trying to form a government that has domestic and international support.
However, Stanekzai emphasised that the government would not include figures who held posts as ministers, governors, generals or other key positions during the past 20 years.
Instead, the Taliban official said they will bring “new faces” from all tribes and minority groups into the government who they consider to be “Muslim, pious, and talented.” About women’s participation in the government, Stanekzai said he did not think women would be appointed to senior posts but that they would have a role.
The comments followed renewed fighting between the Taliban and resistance fighters near Panjshir Valley during the night, according to the warring sides.
Panjshir is the only district that was not taken in the Taliban’s offensive this month. Nor was it taken in 1996-2001, partially because the region is only accessible through a valley that is relatively easy to defend.
Negotiations have not yet led to “positive results,” Mujahid said.
A former lawmaker from the province Zalmay Noori told dpa that the Taliban wanted the fighters to surrender but that resistance forces had repelled Taliban attacks.
The Taliban swiftly took power in a series of offensives last month, conquering most cities and provinces without resistance. Shortly before the militants took over the country, the previous president, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country.
Governments around the world responded by rushing to evacuate their citizens and local staff fearful of reprisals and repression by the militants.
Leaders worldwide continue to watch whether the Taliban makes good on promises to respect certain rights, while also weighing how to handle an expected rush of refugees from Afghanistan.
Kabul
The Taliban was said to be on the verge of forming a government on Wednesday, after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told dpa there was still no exact information about the timing.
He also left open whether Taliban leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada would appear in public for the first time since the Islamists took power.
“We are waiting,” Mujahid said.
A senior Taliban leader later said that the new Taliban government, which is expected in the coming days, will not include any high-ranking officials from the previous governments in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the BBC, the deputy head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, said the militant group is trying to form a government that has domestic and international support.
However, Stanekzai emphasised that the government would not include figures who held posts as ministers, governors, generals or other key positions during the past 20 years.
Instead, the Taliban official said they will bring “new faces” from all tribes and minority groups into the government who they consider to be “Muslim, pious, and talented.” About women’s participation in the government, Stanekzai said he did not think women would be appointed to senior posts but that they would have a role.
The comments followed renewed fighting between the Taliban and resistance fighters near Panjshir Valley during the night, according to the warring sides.
Panjshir is the only district that was not taken in the Taliban’s offensive this month. Nor was it taken in 1996-2001, partially because the region is only accessible through a valley that is relatively easy to defend.
Negotiations have not yet led to “positive results,” Mujahid said.
A former lawmaker from the province Zalmay Noori told dpa that the Taliban wanted the fighters to surrender but that resistance forces had repelled Taliban attacks.
The Taliban swiftly took power in a series of offensives last month, conquering most cities and provinces without resistance. Shortly before the militants took over the country, the previous president, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country.
Governments around the world responded by rushing to evacuate their citizens and local staff fearful of reprisals and repression by the militants.
Leaders worldwide continue to watch whether the Taliban makes good on promises to respect certain rights, while also weighing how to handle an expected rush of refugees from Afghanistan.
