Mixed Reactions to Taliban Government Formation
NEW DELHI, Sept 8: While China has welcomed the formation of the “interim” Taliban government stating that it had “brought an end to anarchy,” most other countries in the world are skeptical about its character and the governance it was likely to deliver so long in the office.
The Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan after seizing the capital Kabul on August 15. Weeks after the blitz, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, addressing the international media in Kabul on Tuesday, announced the formation of a new Taliban government in Afghanistan headed by Mullah Hasan Akhund with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi as his deputies. The leader of the Haqqani Network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is a designated global terrorist, has been appointed as the Minister of Interior.
After Pakistan and China, Uzbekistan has now endorsed the new Taliban government in Afghanistan while the German Finance Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday that the announcement of a new government in Afghanistan without the participation of other groups and violence against demonstrators are not “signals that give cause for optimism.”
China has praised the formation of a caretaker Taliban government in Afghanistan, terming it a “necessary” step.
“This has put an end to the anarchy in Afghanistan after over three weeks and the necessary step for Afghanistan to restore domestic order and pursue the post war reconstruction,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told media outlets on Wednesday.
Webnin went on to say, “We hope Afghanistan will establish a broadly based, inclusive political structure, follow moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely combat all types of terrorist forces and live in good terms with other countries, especially its neighbours.”
A spokesperson for the European Union (EU) said on Wednesday that the ‘caretaker’ Taliban government in Afghanistan is not an inclusive one as projected and promised by the Taliban.
“Upon initial analysis of the names announced, it does not look like the inclusive and representative formation in terms of the rich ethnic and religious diversity of Afghanistan we hoped to see and that the Taliban were promising over the past weeks,” the EU spokesperson said.
The US State Department said it was assessing the new Afghan government announced by the Taliban. “We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women,” a State Department statement said. “We also are concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the individuals,” is said.
Meanwhile, five journalists from a daily newspaper published from Kabul were arrested by the Taliban, its editor in chief said.
The Taliban Spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said, “As a routine, those who are intending to stage peaceful demonstrations, can do so after getting permission from the authorities and specifying the location where they want to stage demonstrations.” He said the protest should not be like the ones taking place now — with use of abusive language against IEA leaders. He further said some people are “provoking acts to flare up tussles to film the scene and put it on social media.”
Exposing its real face, the Taliban spokesperson said women cannot participate in sports, including cricket. Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, told media that sports activities were not necessary for women as these would expose their bodies to the media.
(Manas Dasgupta)
