New speech from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Dhabīḥ Allah Mujāhid: “At the Inauguration Ceremony of the Doha Meeting”

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful

Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the United Nations, Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, respected representatives of countries and institutions, and especially the representative of the host country, Qatar, good evening!

I am pleased to represent the government and people of Afghanistan at such an opportune moment, initiated by the United Nations for Afghanistan, and to meet with representatives from numerous countries and international organizations.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the leadership of the government of Qatar for their valuable assistance in organizing and facilitating this meeting.

Our participation in this Doha meeting demonstrates that, despite the considerations we have, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is committed to positive engagement.

We perceive the current Doha meeting as a crucial opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue regarding the unilateral and multilateral sanctions imposed on some officials and our financial and banking sectors, as well as the broader challenges confronting our national economy. This forum represents a positive step towards addressing these issues and providing reassurance to the Afghan people that the imposed restrictions on our nation will be alleviated in due course.

Dear Participants!

Afghans are questioning why the easing of sanctions on financial and trade sectors remains slow-paced? Why the government and the private sector consistently confronting various challenges? Afghans, who have been suffering from war and insecurity as a result of foreign invasions and interference for almost half a century, ultimately, gained independence, ended the war and built a system aimed at fostering positive engagement with the world, however, in return they faced sanctions and restrictions?

Is it fair and appropriate?

I do not deny that some countries may have problems with some measures of the Islamic Emirate. I think that policy differences amid states are natural, and it is the duty of experienced diplomats to find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation.

The policy differences should not escalate to the extent that powerful countries use their leverage to impose security, political, and economic pressures on our people, affecting the lives of our nation in a significant way.

In addition, despite unilateral and multilateral sanctions and pressures, we banned the cultivation, processing and smuggling of poppy which affected the world.

Poppy cultivation, which remained as a significant challenge in Afghanistan, we reduced it to almost zero; however, in contrast, instead of recognizing and commending these initiatives, lifting banking restrictions to stimulate the country’s economy and unfreezing national reserves, some countries have continued with their policy of non-cooperation.

Dear Participants!

As our nation has fought throughout history for political independence and made historical sacrifices, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is now endeavoring to achieve economic independence by laying the foundations of a self-sustaining and secure national economy. We are committed to advancing real economic development in Afghanistan, taking initial steps towards creating jobs, establishing factories, lifting people out of poverty, and creating business opportunities for women.

We appreciate the countries that provide humanitarian aid, however, the main solution to the economic obstacles of Afghans is to remove unilateral and multilateral sanctions, provide development aid and allow the government and people of Afghanistan to utilize their capacities without restrictions for the revival of the national economy.

An essential element of our foreign policy is economic orientation. With our economically oriented foreign policy, we have been able to provide connectivity to the region through Afghanistan. With the construction of the transportation railway from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan in the north, Central Asia will be connected with South Asia. Our respective entities are working closely with our Uzbek and Pakistani counterparts.

In collaboration with Turkmenistan, we have made significant progress regarding the implementation of the ambitious gas pipeline project (TAPI) over the past two years. This milestone ensures positive participation in energy exchange and connectivity between Central and South Asia through Afghanistan.

Furthermore, we have declared our commitment to the North-South corridor and look forward to collaborating with partner countries along this corridor.

In addition, with the end of the occupation and war in Afghanistan, not only that the opportunity to use its national capacities for the revival of the national economy of Afghanistan has been provided, rather, the entire region benefits from the security and stability in Afghanistan.

The relationships with regional countries demonstrate that the Islamic Emirate has the commitment and capacity to establish and maintain relations. Consequently, other nations, particularly Western countries, can remove the obstacles hindering the development of relations with the Afghan government. Like the regional countries, they can take genuine and practical steps toward positive engagement.

Dear Participants!

As mentioned, differences of opinion in certain areas are natural. However, the important thing is that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has the will and commitment for positive interaction, enhancing relationships.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is keen on engaging constructively with Western nations as well. Like any sovereign state, we uphold certain religious and cultural values and public aspirations that must be acknowledged to facilitate progressive bilateral relations rather than encountering disputes and stagnation.

Our aspiration is for the national sovereignty, independence, values, and preferences of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to be duly respected, as affirmed by the United Nations Charter.

By delineating Afghanistan’s internal matters from foreign relations, we could potentially achieve significant advancements in both bilateral and multilateral engagements. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan now represents a government that is the culmination of the Afghan people’s decades-long struggles. The political understanding between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and other nations is steadily improving. For instance, Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of prohibited groups last month, and it is anticipated that the Russian Federation will undertake a similar measure in the near future. Concurrently, the People’s Republic of China has officially recognized the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Furthermore, numerous countries have accepted diplomats from the Afghan government, and we have active political representations.

Just as the regional countries have positively interacted with the current government of Afghanistan as a responsible system, we hope that Western countries will also prioritize mutual bilateral interests in a similar manner.

I would like to draw your attention to another critical humanitarian crisis:

Since last October, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Palestine, has become the first genocide in history to be broadcasted live. This tragedy has severely undermined the credibility of countries and organizations that profess to uphold human rights.

It is important to note that certain entities directly involved in this humanitarian atrocity lack the moral standing to lecture us on human rights.

Over the past three years, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has firmly established itself as a centralized, strong, and authoritative regime domestically. It has made substantial progress in developing national institutions, implementing infrastructure projects, and revitalizing the national economy. Moreover, it has achieved significant strides in enhancing bilateral relations with numerous countries, as evidenced by improved relations with neighboring and regional states.

Dear Participants!

To ensure the Doha meeting is productive and meaningful, we must focus on the following objectives to establish trust and demonstrate our collective commitment to Afghanistan’s security, stability, and prosperity:

First, the removal of all restrictions and sanctions, as well as the annulment of previous resolutions that have created significant barriers for Afghanistan’s private sector.

Second, the unfreezing of all foreign reserves of Da Afghanistan Bank, which are the legitimate property of the Afghan people, and restoring them to the bank’s control to:

• Enhance the implementation of monetary policy,

• Strengthen the commercial banks, and

• Enable Da Afghanistan Bank to fulfill its foreign currency obligations to commercial banks.

The continued freezing of these reserves has severely impaired the ability of commercial banks to meet the currency needs of their clients, both domestically and internationally. Consequently, customers are often forced to resort to illegal methods to sustain their trade operations.

For the growth of the private sector, it is crucial that interactions between our banks and foreign banks resume, this will enable our traders to engage in commercial activities globally through legal (banking) channels.

Third, while Afghanistan has made significant strides in combating the cultivation, production, processing, and trafficking of narcotics, and continues to do so, it is essential to provide alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers. This is a shared responsibility that must be addressed collectively, and Afghanistan should not be left to manage this challenge alone.

I propose the formation of working groups to address these issues and look forward to having effective and productive discussions with respected representatives on these matters.

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New statement from al-Qā’idah’s General Command: “Regarding the Pornographic Invasion of the Peninsula of Muhammad Through the Qatar World Cup 2022”

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: al-Qā’idah’s General Command — Regarding the Pornographic Invasion of the Peninsula of Muhammad Through the Qatar World Cup 2022

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Source: Telegram

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New statement from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula: “Regarding the Holding of the World Cup Event in the Arabian Peninsula”

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula — Regarding the Holding of the World Cup Event in the Arabian Peninsula

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Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s ‘Abd al-Qahār Balkhī: “Meeting in Doha With Ambassadors and Representatives of the U.S., E.U., and Other Western Countries”

Today in Doha, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Honorable Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and senior delegation held a joint meeting with ambassadors and representatives of US, EU and other western countries. H.E. Muttaqi talked in detail about the current Afghan situation, relations with other countries, prevailing economic difficulties, humanitarian assistance, resumption of incomplete development projects and existing sanctions, drawing the attention of all participants, adding that weakening the Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone because its negative effects will directly affect the world in security sector and economic migration from the country. Pressure tactics have not yielded results in Afghanistan, instead let us adopt constructive interaction and cooperation.

H.E. Muttaqi remarked our priority is paying salaries from previous months to half a million civil servants and resumption of new economic projects. In this regard we urge world countries to end existing sanctions and let banks operates normally so that charity groups, organizations and the government can pay salaries to their staff with their own reserves and international financial assistance.

Participants of the meeting agreed that an instable Afghanistan is not in the interest of anyone however they do have some concerns that must be addressed by you that will lead to positive effects on relations. Majority of participations asserted they have increased humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and want to deliver it by the end of the year. Moreover, all were of the opinion to continue such meetings and interactions in the future.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

6/03/1443 Hijri Lunar

20/07/1400 Hijri Solar

11/11/2021 Gregorian

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New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: “On the First Anniversary of the Doha Agreement”

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On the 5th of Rajab 1441 Hijri Lunar corresponding with 10th Hoot 1338 Hijri Solar, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States of America signed a historic deal in the presence of international observers along with the foreign ministers and representatives of multiple countries.

This agreement is a historic accord between the people of Afghanistan and the people of America because it is aimed at ending the twenty-year imposed war.

We congratulate everyone specifically our beloved compatriots and valiant Mujahideen on the first anniversary of this momentous agreement.

The United States of America has committed itself in the agreement that in fourteen months following this date, they will withdraw all their military personnel along with those of their allies and coalition as well as all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private contractors, trainers, advisors and service providers.

On the other side, the Islamic Emirate committed itself to not allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States of America and its allies.

On the basis of this historic agreement, five thousand prisoners of the Islamic Emirate and one thousand of the other side were released and the intra-Afghan talks subsequently launched. Even though this process was unfortunately delayed for six months, this delay was not on part of the Islamic Emirate.

But in spite of this, the release of prisoners and launch of intra-Afghan dialogue served as positive momentum towards finding a resolution to the Afghan issue and for bringing peace and prosperity to the people.

The release of six thousand prisoners was in reality a cause for joy and celebration for six thousand Afghan families.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would like to communicate its stance on the first anniversary of this agreement as following:

1 – The Islamic Emirate is committed on its part to all contents of the agreement and views its implementation the sole effective tool for resolving the Afghan issue and establishing peace, that shall be realized under the shade of an Islamic system.

2 – The Islamic Emirate also calls on the other party to the agreement (United States of America) to honor its own commitments towards security and stability in Afghanistan by implementing all parts of the agreement.

3 – The release of remaining prisoners and end of blacklists are part of the agreement that have yet to be implemented. Practical steps must by undertaken to expedite the ongoing intra-Afghan dialogue process. The implementation of the agreement must be utilized to improve the situation and pushing it in the wrong direction must be avoided.

4 – The Doha agreement has created a practical framework for bringing peace and security to Afghanistan. If any other pathway is pursued as a replacement, then it is already doomed to failure.

5 – The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has significantly reduced the level of operations in line with the Doha agreement. No operations have targeted major military and intelligence centers, martyrdom operations have seized, provinces have not been overrun, provincial capitals have not been attacked, district centers have not been targeted, and this is known and clear to everyone.

However, the other side has not fulfilled its obligations in this regard as bombardments, drone strikes, raids and offensive operations that were all prohibit on the basis of the agreement are still continuing, which is mostly causing civilian harm and increasing the levels of violence.

Moreover, some circles with their interests tied to foreign actors have recently launched a wave of targeted attacks especially against civilians with the aim of showing the situation as teetering on the brink of a crisis, and to create excuses for the continuation of occupation and war.

6 – But despite these shortcomings, the agreement is still moving in a positive direction, the results of which shall be beneficial for all parties. In line with this agreement, a large part of foreign forces specifically American forces have withdrawn from our country, while the rest must also withdraw within the specified date. Similarly, the Islamic Emirate has also shown complete adherence to its commitments and continues to honor them.

7 – The State of Qatar, Security Council along with all other countries and international observers that participated in the signing ceremony have an obligation in the complete implementation of the agreement that must be fulfilled.

 

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

16/07/1442 Hijri Lunar

10/12/1399 Hijri Solar                  28/02/2021 Gregorian

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New release from Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī: “About the Taliban Negotiations With the Apostate Kabul Government in Doha”

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī — About the Taliban Negotiations With the Apostate Kabul Government in Doha

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