Taliban object to US comments on govt appointments

The Taliban has objected to the recent statement issued by the United States on the blacklisted status of certain members of the Islamic Emirate’s interim government.

According to a statement issued by Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, Washington’s position on continued sanctions is in violation of the Doha Agreement signed between the two parties in February last year.

“The Islamic Emirate considers this position a clear violation of the Doha Agreement which is neither in the interest of the United States nor Afghanistan,” the statement read.

The Taliban also objected to recent comments made about Haqqani network’s Sirajudin Haqqani, who has been appointed as the Islamic Emirate’s acting interior minister.

Haqqani is blacklisted by the US and has a $10 million bounty on his head.

“The family of honorable Haqqani Sahib is part of Islamic Emirate and does not have a separate name or organizational setup.

“Similarly, in Doha Agreement all officials of the Islamic Emirate without any exception were part of interaction with the US and should have been removed from the UN and US blacklists, a demand which still remains valid,” the statement read.

“That America and other countries are making such provocative statements and trying to meddle [in] the internal affairs of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate condemns it in the strongest terms.

“Such remarks by US officials are a repetition of past failed experiments and such positions detrimental for America.

“We urge that these incorrect policies be immediately reversed through diplomatic interactions.”