Former Taliban Ambassador Insists on Acknowledging Mistakes

Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, has emphasised that without understanding the world, meaningful interaction is impossible.

On Thursday, without specifying his audience, Zaeef wrote on the social media platform X that if someone does not acknowledge their mistakes, they cannot implement reforms.

These remarks follow Zaeef's recent posts highlighting that tyranny leads to the decline of Islamic societies and that an "Amir" who holds absolute power gradually becomes an "absolute despot”.

It appears that his comments have prompted reactions from Taliban officials. On Thursday, Zaeef, a well-known diplomat from the first Taliban regime, clarified that his remarks were intended to strengthen the Islamic system and should not be misinterpreted. He emphasised that Afghans have fought and sacrificed for years to establish an Islamic system.

The former prominent Taliban figure stated, "If one does not closely examine the past, the future cannot be built. If one does not acknowledge their mistakes, they cannot correct them."

He added, "If one does not recognise the negative, they cannot think positively. If one cannot bear the truth, they will not reach reality, and finally, if one does not understand the world, they cannot interact with it."

Zaeef, who heads the "Afghan Foundation" in Kabul, stressed that "military strength, political skill, a strong economy, and national support are the guarantors of the survival of the Islamic system and must be given serious attention”.

Previously, Zaeef had stated that after an Amir becomes a despot, he surrounds himself with sycophants and distances himself from people of knowledge and opinion.