In the backdrop of NATO summit in Chicago, Afghan Taliban said on Sunday that they were keeping their door open both for war and political process.
However, Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that international conferences and agreements could not provide a viable solution to Afghanistan’s problems, and called upon the NATO countries to accept the right of sovereignty of the Afghans. “We call upon the leaders of the NATO member countries to realise the ground realities of Afghanistan and acknowledge the natural rights of the Afghans,” the spokesman said.
Similarly, they (the US and other NATO countries) should stop the gross human rights violations ongoing in Afghanistan and the desecration of the sanctities of Afghans committed by their troops, he said.
The Taliban warned the coalition forces that if they still refuse to pay attention to the consequences of their criminal actions, then they would also be erased along with their oppression and terror on this “blessed soil” just like the previous imperialists, and only their stories shall remain.
The spokesman further said that the Islamic Emirate – the name Taliban use for their shadow government – had left all military and political doors open. “It wants to obtain the rights of the Muslim Afghan nation through all possible ways, and as a responsible force, is prepared to accept all it announces however the invaders are utilising a ‘one step forward, two steps backwards’ tactic,” he added.
“They (US and its allies) are conjuring artificial excuses to prolong the occupation of Afghanistan, are wavering in their stance and do not seem to have a clear strategy for a political solution. The Islamic Emirate considers the claims of the invaders of finding a political solution as meaningless until they come out of their fluctuating unstable state,” he said.
Mujahid said the occupation of Afghanistan by America and its allies was the fundamental problem. He said, “If this matter is solved, the Afghans understand each other’s language and share a common culture therefore they can reach a resolution regarding the country. The foreigners should forgo prolonging and complicating the Afghan issue for their colonialist objectives.”
He praised the decision of the newly elected French president to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan. He said that according to the US intelligence agencies, al Qaeda members had shifted to other countries from Afghanistan, and the CBS news and NYT surveys show that American people want withdrawal, adding that the people of other NATO countries share similar sentiments. “Now if NATO countries do not decide to quit Afghanistan, then how can they claim that they are representative governments,” the spokesman said.
He reiterated that the Afghan mujahideen would keep proceeding with their ongoing jihad until it attains its goal, and that the terrorism and savagery of the invaders and their stooges would not be able to stop it.
The 25th NATO summit is being held in Chicago from May 20-21, and is being attended by over 60 countries, including Pakistan.
