Taliban call for more collaboration, less sanctions on Afghan Independence Day

Kabul, Aug 19 (EFE).- The Taliban government, on the occasion of Afghanistan’s Independence Day celebrations on Saturday, urged the international community for greater collaboration and to remove sanctions that weigh heavily on the country, already suffering from a severe humanitarian and economic crisis.

Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani called on the international community to “work with Islamic Emirate (as the Taliban call themselves) instead of putting pressure” and “remove sanctions on Afghanistan.”

Haqqani was making an address during an event to commemorate the 104th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence from the British.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials, including Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, who praised the country’s current security system that “no government in the history of Afghanistan” has had, with more than 400,000 members, including the Army, Police and intelligence services.

“Defeat of British colonialism, the Soviet and NATO forces show that Afghanistan is an impregnable country,” Taliban’s chief spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.

Human rights activists took the opportunity to recall that those who achieved independence 104 years ago brought in policies that are now ironically rejected by the Taliban, such as women’s education.

“After gaining independence, King of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan had announced education for girls and women, and requested all the people of Afghanistan to educate both males and females while Taliban are against this policy so far,” Nahid Noori, a social activist, told EFE. EFE

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