Taliban instigates people against former Afghan leaders, calls them 'American puppets'

Instigating Afghan citizens to cause harm to former leaders of the Islamic Republic, a Taliban official on Wednesday, November 18, described some top Afghan leaders as 'criminals.' The minister of virtue and vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, issued the scathing statements in reference to the general amnesty, assuring the people that if the Islamic Emirate offered protection to these figures, the rest of the civilians need not be concerned about their lives, according to TOLONews. He stated that those who have amassed enormous property gains in recent years should be held accountable.

TOLONews quoted Hanafi as saying, “Is there any bigger criminal than (Hamid) Karzai, is there any bigger criminal than(Abdullah) Abdullah? If the Islamic Emirate gives them amnesty, will it not give protection to the others? Is there a bigger criminal than (Abdul Hadi) Muslimyar?”

Hanafi claimed that calling the officials 'traitor' was done to allay people's fears about the broad amnesty. He made the accusations during a rally in Kunduz province on Wednesday, accusing former Afghan leaders of corruption. According to an Afghani broadcaster, he also chastised former Jihadi leaders as 'American Puppets' who failed to commit to the country. He further stated that the international focus on forming an inclusive administration in Afghanistan was intended to create a corrupt government in the country.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office responded to Hanafi's remarks, saying, "the former Afghan president does not consider the remarks of the vice and virtue minister significant enough to warrant a discussion but would advise him that unity is the path to stability and a national system in (our) beloved country." With the demise of the previous government, the former president, Ashraf Ghani, and his entourage fled the country. Karzai, Abdullah, and other Afghan officials remain in the country.

Kabul's interim government asks US to unfreeze assets

On the other hand, the Taliban-led Afghan government has asked the United States to unfreeze the country's assets worth more than USD 9 billion and relieve sanctions on its banks, noting the hardships suffered by the people as the country prepares for a brutal winter, PTI reported on November 17. After the Taliban terrorists seized power in the war-torn country in mid-August, the US froze almost USD 9 billion in Afghan Central Bank assets. In a letter to the US Congress, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stated that freezing Afghanistan's assets will not address any problems. The foreign ministry stated that if the assets stay frozen, conditions in Afghanistan will worsen as winter approaches, in the letter, according to PTI. Reportedly, it urged the US Congress and government to reconsider its decision and release the assets.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP