Taliban-led Afghanistan government to officially take oath on 9/11 anniversary

Kabul : New Interim government of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA) led by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund will be taking oath of office on September 11, a day that will mark 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US in 2001. 

According to reports, an invitation has been prepared and will be sent to nations including China, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar, India, and the US for attending the oath-taking ceremony.

The Taliban had recently announced the names of new cabinet ministers, claiming it to be a caretaker government. The Taliban are seeking international recognition and have called on the countries to reopen their embassies in the war-torn nation.

“We recognise that peace and stability are must for investments. We want good relations with all the neighbours, including China,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban. “The war has ended, the country is getting out of the crisis. It is now the time for peace and reconstruction. We need people to support us. Afghanistan has the right to be recognised. The international community should open their embassies in Kabul,” he added.

International community on the other hand is not ready to accept Taliban at the political level. 

The interim Prime Minister, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, is under UN sanctions. Sirajuddin Haqqani, named the acting Interior Minister, is on the FBI’s most-wanted list with a bounty of $10 million on his head. Khalil Haqqani, appointed as the acting Minister for Refugees, also carries a $5 million bounty on his head. There are many others in the list in senior positions who are either members of the US-designated terror groups, or are on international sanctions lists or are former Guantanamo inmates.