Afghanistan's acting PM calls for 'good ties with all countries' in first public address

In his first public address, Taliban co-founder and acting prime minister of Afghanistan Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund said that his government will "not interfere" in other countries' internal affairs, and wants “good relations with all countries and economic relations with them,” Afghan media reported. During his Saturday address broadcasted in the state-run Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA), Hassan Akhund noted that the Afghan soil will not be used to harbour terrorism,  as he also made a pledge about focusing on education for women. Taliban Prime Minister then called for the United States to unfreeze the Afghan assets in order to alleviate the country’s looming economic and financial woes. 

"No harm has been inflicted to any country from Afghanistan and no one will witness harm from Afghanistan. Now, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is focusing on rebuilding our country,” Hassan Akhund said, according to Xinhua.

"The Islamic Emirate wants to have good relations, economic ties and co-exist with all countries. Afghanistan will not interfere in the internal affairs of any country, it is not our policy," he further iterated. 

Women's rights 'are safeguarded,' courts will 'act strongly' to impart justice, says Afghanistan's acting PM

Afghanistan’s acting prime minister also noted that women's rights “are safeguarded, and the Islamic Emirate respects the rights of education for women and girls. The women will be provided with an immune space for their education based on the Islamic laws.” Furthermore, he asked the provincial governors, police chiefs and judges of the country to ensure justice and act strongly against those that harass the Afghans.

"Those who harass ordinary people, or individuals who worked in the former government, must be accountable. It doesn't matter how high their rank is, those who are harassing people should be disarmed immediately and the report should be sent to me directly," Akhund reportedly stated. 

While the Taliban complained about the US government blocking the newly installed government from accessing the country's assets, the latter cited the movement’s human rights abuses, the lack of inclusivity in the Taliban's cabinet, and the regime’s terrorist links and backgrounds as a reason for freezing the funding. Akhund, however, blamed the ousted President Ashraf Ghani's government for corruption.

"Nation, be vigilant. Those leftover from the previous government in hiding are ... causing anxiety, misleading the people to distrust their government," Akhund said in his address, according to the Associated Press. He then added that the country was taking measures to tackle the economic challenges, adding that workers have not received paychecks for weeks.