PM Akhund: Taliban seek good relations with all

KABUL: The Islamic Emirate Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund’s first public speech was aired on Saturday evening. It was broadcast on public television but with an audio message only.

Hassan Akhund covered a range of issues, including the Taliban’s fight against the US, the poverty in the country, security issues and Afghanistan’s relations with regional and world countries.

He said the Taliban had fulfilled its promise to continue fighting until an Islamic government was in power in Afghanistan. Pointing to the current economic and financial problems, he said the economic challenges existed even before the Islamic Emirate. He added that if Afghanistan’s central bank assets are released, the economic problems will be resolved.

The prime minister said the Islamic Emirate wants to have good relations with all the countries and have economic relations with them. He said the Islamic Emirate will not interfere in any country’s internal affairs. He also called on the international community to continue their humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan. Pointing to the security situation, Prime Minister Akhund said he received reports that some people enter people’s houses and create disorder.

He said those people do not belong to the Islamic Emirate and called on the authorities to stop such activities in the country.

On women’s rights and girls’ education, he said the Islamic Emirate has given the women their rights, adding that they are working to improve the situation for girls’ education.

He also said the current government is more inclusive than the former government, saying that in the former government the power was in the hands of a limited number of individuals.