'Political isolation' of Taliban regime not beneficial for anyone, Muttaqi tells OIC

Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi on Sunday warned that the political isolation of Afghanistan after the takeover of the country by the Taliban was not beneficial for anyone in the world.

Speaking at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Muttaqi said the Taliban regime was ready to “listen to and accept all requests, concerns and advice of Islamic countries in relation to Afghanistan that can lead towards a proper and just roadmap and direct us out of the current crisis."

He said, “we, as a representative and responsible government of the Afghan people, consider human rights, women rights and participation by all capable Afghans from various regions our duty. We have done much in this regard and will continue to take further steps.”

He claimed a decree was announced by the leader of the Islamic Emirate about the rights of women, which shall prove instrumental in giving them their rights. According to the Afghan FM, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan continued to be “targets of partisan propaganda by a number of media outlets whereby the present picture of Afghanistan is displayed in a distorted manner to the world."

He stated that there were no political prisoners in Afghanistan and all of the government departments were operating smoothly.

“Five-hundred thousand civil servants from the former regime are continuing to work in the various departments of the Islamic Emirate and none are treated in a discriminatory or vindictive manner,” he said, adding that the current set up of the Afghan government include “people from all ethnicities, regions and faiths”.

“We remain committed to broadening by providing favorable opportunity of participation for professionals from all ethnicities and faiths,” he added.

Read: Taliban leader decrees Afghan women's rights must be 'enforced'

Muttaqi further said that the corruption has been eliminated in Afghanistan and the new regime had established its writ across the country.

“The new government exercising control over the entire country – that has secured its geography and territorial integrity, established security, does not pose a threat to any world country and as a ruling system – reserves the right to have formal relations with the world and be a responsible member of the wider international community.”

He assured that the Afghan soil will not be used for terrorism, urging the global powers to “support the prevailing stability and back it both politically and economically."

He also urged international investors “specifically those from Islamic countries to begin investments in Afghanistan”.

“We, from our side, assure them about providing all necessary facilities. As a result of the prevalent security, Afghanistan can now transform into a hub of regional economic connectivity,” he added.

During the address, he said the Afghan people needed urgent assistance to prevent a humanitarian collapse.

“At a time when our people have been devastated by wars, drought, the Covid-19 pandemic and poverty, as billions of our dollar reserves have been frozen, and the suspension of development and assistance projects by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other institutes, have led to health, education and social services teetering on the brink, all of this has only harmed the general public.”

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“All these elements need urgent resolutions and we remain hopeful about jointly addressing them with the assistance of Islamic countries and international humanitarian organisations. We need urgent assistance in the short-term and our compatriots need liquidity more than items in order to retain the value of Afghani currency and to address their principle needs,” he further said.

He also criticised the US for slapping sanctions on Afghanistan, saying the weakening of the Taliban regime was not in the interest of anyone.

“The sanctions on Afghanistan and freezing of assets by the United States of America is harming the Afghans, is a clear violation of the human rights of Afghans and can be interpreted as enmity with an entire nation.”

“We urge participants of this great gathering to remind US officials that persecution of Afghans and weakening of the Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone. This is not conducive to improving ties. Such actions harm American prestige and exacerbate the refugee crisis, the detrimental effects of which will not spare the wider world.”

He also thanked the UAE and Saudi Arabia for sending the diplomatic staff back to Afghanistan and called on members of the OIC to reopen their missions in the country.