The Taliban had held their first meeting of religious leaders in Kabul aimed at boosting rule and laying out guidelines about religious instructions. Over 4,000 scholars and tribal elders from throughout Afghanistan gathered in the Loya Jirga, the first such session convened by the Taliban since retaking Afghanistan’s capital on August 15.
The Taliban supreme leader, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada arrived in capital Kabul for the first time since the group’s victory, and briefed the gathering that is discussing important issues.
Akhundzada has not been filmed or photographed in public since his appointment as the Taliban chief on May 25, 2016 after his predecessor Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone attack in Pakistan.
Stop meddling in the internal affairs of Afghanistan
During his speech to the moot, Akhundzada defended his government policies and vowed to fully implement the Islamic system. He clearly put rest to the formation of an inclusive government under pressure by the West, and asked the US and foreign countries to stop meddling in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
The Taliban had declared general amnesty for all the Afghans who worked in the western-backed government and for the members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, who fought against the Taliban in the past 20 years.
Taliban held the Jirga to open a window for comprehensive consultations on how to run the country after immense criticism and opposition by the world, especially in areas of ignoring women’s rights and banning schools for girls.
The Taliban, who are celebrating victory and establishing a pure Islamic system, had urged the delegates of the Loya Jirga to spare no efforts to further strengthen the pillars of the current system.
It would be a premature celebration if the Taliban failed to maintain security and boost the fragile economy. The day when participants in the Loya Jirga were discussing important issues, Taliban forces had raided a compound in Kabul and killed three people who wanted to fire rockets at the Loya Jirga tent. The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid played down the incident, calling it “small”.
Security issue
Several deadly attacks across Afghanistan had also occurred since the Tallian seizure of power, and mostly claimed by the Islamic State (IS), also known as the Daesh extremist group. The Taliban confirmed that IS is posing a security threat and pledged to take actions.
The positive point is that the 20 years long occupation has come to an end, said a top Taliban official. “There are security challenges. Daesh is a threat, but the security apparatus have taken steps and as a result there is no more attacks by IS since the last one in Kabul,” the official said, wishing anonymity. On June 19, IS claimed an attack on Sikh temple, killing at least two people and injuring seven, another deadly incident in a spate of violence targeting minorities and places of worship.
The situation of Afghan women
At the meantime, there were no women participants in the Loya Jirga, where the critics deem it as a clear discrimination against the Afghan women who are making up over 50 percent population of the Afghan society.
However, the Taliban has pledged to allow women to work and girls to attend schools, and called for some time to fix it.
