‘Politics of coercion’: Taliban regret UN discussion on Afghanistan missed recognition, sanctions

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - The interim Taliban administration on Wednesday regretted that the latest discussion on Afghanistan at the UN missed recognition of the interim administration and lifting of the sanctions.

It also alleged that the UN was being held “hostage and used” against Afghanistan.

“Politics of pressure and coercion are still in force … these selfish groups are still at war with us and they are holding the United Nations hostage and using it against us,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of the administration, without identifying the “selfish groups.”

Mujahid was responding to the UN Security Council discussion on Tuesday, which was also addressed by the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, who said that dialogue and engagement with the Taliban administration does not mean condoning its policies.

According to Mujahid, it was “necessary to discuss the end of the blacklist in the United Nations, the removal of sanctions, the release of seized assets, and finally the recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the handing over of the seat of Afghanistan to Afghans.”

However, the Taliban, which identifies itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, regretted that the discussions at the UNSC “were diverted by raising only two small and domestic topics such as women’s education and their work,” the spokesman said.

“In Afghanistan, security, general amnesty, peace and stability, economic development, formation of security forces, provision of budget from internal revenue, extending education across the country, and dozens of other developments have not been discussed,” Mujahid said in a statement on X.

Since the return of the Taliban in August 2021 to power, around $7 billion in Afghan foreign reserves have been blocked by the US.

The Kabul-based interim administration had named its erstwhile spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s permanent member to the UN but the world body is yet to accept the nomination as the Taliban remains unrecognized by the UN member nations.

“The people of Afghanistan trust their leaders and strongly support the system.” They “give priority to their religion and national interests and have struggled for years to achieve these great goals and are ready to protect them,” Mujahid said.