Iran condemns 'fratricide' in Panjshir amid Taliban atrocities; seeks free & fair polls

Amid increasing reports of the Taliban's brutality in Panjshir, Iran once again condemned the 'unjustifiable' attack on the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. During the United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Iran's permanent representative at the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi stated that the offensive in the aforesaid province went against the global consensus that a government that comes to power by force will not be recognized. Batting for intra-Afghan negotiations, he called for the formation of an inclusive government through free and fair elections.

Most importantly, Takht-Ravanchi stressed that women must be allowed to not only vote but also participate in the polls. As per reports, he also hinted that his country might recognize the new regime in Afghanistan if the Taliban fulfills all its commitments. Earlier, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh had condemned "foreign interference" in the affairs of the war-torn country alluding to Pakistan's nefarious role. 

Situation in Panjshir

While Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country with his associates after the Taliban stormed into Kabul on August 15, the NRF under the leadership of Afghanistan's 'caretaker' president Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud tried their best to prevent the terror group from capturing Panjshir. On September 5, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan suffered a big setback after its spokesperson Fahim Dashty and General Sahib Abdul Wadood Zhor were killed during the fighting with the terrorist outfit. Even though the Taliban claimed that it had taken over the province on September 6, the NRF called upon people to continue their resistance. 

According to reports, the Taliban is yet to control the entire province with the NRF leadership still holed up in strategic positions. Afghanistan's ambassador to Tajikistan Zahir Aghbar has insisted that Saleh and Massoud have not left the war-torn country. Speaking about the situation in Panjshir at the UNSC a day earlier, Afghanistan's envoy to UN Ghulam Isaczai said, "We have eyewitness accounts of Taliban's widespread atrocities which are perpetrated with support of foreign terrorist fighters and foreign intel and military assets". The terrorist group also mercilessly killed the Afghanistan 'caretaker' president's brother Rohullah Saleh when he was on his way to Kabul from Panjshir.