Taliban offer guarantees to the Resistance for their return to Afghanistan

Tehran, Jan 10 (EFE).- The Taliban offered guarantees to the leaders of the Afghan Resistance to return to the country at a meeting between Afghan Foreign Minister and Ahmad Massoud in Tehran, according to officials in Iran on Monday.

The diplomatic head of Taliban, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met resistance leaders Ahmad Massoud and Ismail Khan in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Said Jatibzade confirmed.

During the meeting, Muttaqi assured Massoud and Khan that they can return to Afghanistan without any worries.

“During the meeting , the Islamic Emirate assured them that they could come to the country without any concern , that the Islamic Emirate is trying to ensure that the future of the country is secure for all and there will be no pretext for anyone to oppose Islamic Emirate,” tweeted Acting Deputy Culture and Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid.

This is the first known meeting between the new Taliban government, which came to power in mid-August after the US withdrawal, and Massoud, who fled the country after the victory of the Islamists.

So far, only meetings had taken place between the Taliban and representatives of Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF) and son of the late Afghan commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, a legendary figure for having confronted the Soviets and the Taliban.

The NRF, made up of local guerrillas and troops of the overthrown Afghan Government who had taken refuge in Panjshir, lost control of the region in early September. It was the last province to be captured by the Taliban.

Khan is a former warlord who opposed the Taliban.

Muttaqi is in Tehran on his first official visit to Iran since taking office.

Accompanied by a large delegation, the diplomat held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Hosein Amir Abdolahian, on Sunday.

Abdolahian offered humanitarian and political support to Afghanistan. However, Iran is still not committed to officially recognizing the Taliban government.

Iran shares a porous border with its Afghan neighbor and hosts some three million Afghan refugees who have fled the country over decades. EFE

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