Taliban's Mullah Baradar desires 'economic ties with all countries, especially US'

Following the announcement of a systematic approach to the governance of Afghanistan, Taliban Co-Founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has expressed his desire to establish economic and political ties with all countries around the world, especially the US. Baradar on August 20 took to Twitter to announce the official conclusion of the war and expressed his will to "resolve remaining issues through talks". He also tagged Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid in the tweet.

As per Xinhua News reports, Baradar took to Twitter to declare the change in the approach towards ruling Afghanistan. "The nation must know that we have changed, and are committed to all human and international rights. Therefore, our nation must not fall prey to foreign plans," Baradar appealed to the international community on Twitter. In a bid to gain maximum international attention, Baradar shared unverified images of reconstruction work with a caption, "The reconstruction of the company is in full swing."

Taliban to begin formal discussion with Afghan political leaders

During a speech on Saturday, Mullah Baradar also informed that the militant group has initiated talks with the Afghan political leaders to formulate and execute a proper governmental setup. He also refuted claims of the local Afghan media that claimed the Taliban wished to "cut off ties with any country". "Rumours about the news has been propaganda. It is not true," ANI quoted.

Additional developments under Taliban regime

In additional developments, the Taliban has also been instrumental in convincing the world that it aims to discontinue allegiance to the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda. Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who emerged out of the shadows soon after Kabul's capture, promised to "recognise and honour" women's rights as per Islamic Law. However, he failed to elaborate further on the topic when asked for details. Meanwhile, Ghani Baradar took to Twitter and instructed: "All Mujahideen to be kind to the people and respect the feelings of the general public regarding the flag."

However, the international community and the eminent Afghani refugee in the US Niloofar Rahmani (the first female Air Force pilot in Afghanistan) called Baradar's promises a "promotional blitz". The comments came at the heels of Zabihullah Mujahid's speech on August 17, where he sought to portray them as more moderate than the late 1990s. The international community has also questioned the Taliban's commitment to the Doha Agreement due to its old family ties with the jihadi group Al Qaeda for over 20 years.

(With inputs from AP and ANI)

Image: AP/representative