Taliban Seeks Global Relations Under Islamic Sharia, Says Spokesperson

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, has stated that the group operates around 40 political offices in various countries and maintains strong ties with numerous nations, particularly its neighbours.

He also accused the United States and some European countries of retaining a “mentality of war.”

In an interview aired on Sunday by the Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Mujahid addressed the group’s relations with the West, acknowledging the challenges posed by past conflicts and what he described as the “occupation of Afghanistan” by Western nations.

“It is not easy to convince them, but negotiations are ongoing. Meetings have been held, and Taliban diplomacy is expanding day by day,” Mujahid stated.

The Taliban spokesperson emphasised that the group seeks international relations based on Islamic Sharia and mutual respect.

Mujahid also claimed that the U.S. and certain Western countries are unwilling to engage with the Taliban unless they change their perspective and acknowledge the problems they have created.

He reassured Western nations that Afghan soil would not be used against them and that the security of embassies and diplomatic missions would be ensured. “We want to establish official relations, which would build confidence,” he added.

According to Mujahid, the Taliban has repeatedly urged the U.S. and European nations to reopen their embassies in Afghanistan and allow the group to establish diplomatic missions in their countries. He asserted that European nations are interested in formal relations with the Taliban but remain restricted by “certain sensitivities and agreements with the U.S.”

“European countries look to the U.S. when deciding on relations with us,” he said, further claiming that some nations are already engaging with the Taliban unofficially but have yet to make their ties public.

During the interview, Mujahid also responded to recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Taliban’s control of U.S. military equipment and claims of a Chinese military presence at Bagram Airbase.

Dismissing Trump’s comments as “emotional,” Mujahid insisted that the military equipment in the Taliban’s possession was captured as “war spoils.”

He also denied Trump’s assertion that Chinese forces were stationed at Bagram, stating, “Not a single armed Chinese individual is present in Afghanistan. Bagram is fully under Taliban control.”

“Trump is a leader of a country like the U.S., and his statements should be more precise,” Mujahid added.

Mujahid also addressed the issue of military helicopters that Afghan government forces flew to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan following the Taliban’s takeover. He reiterated the group’s demand for their return.

He suggested that the U.S. might be pressuring Uzbekistan to retain the aircraft but insisted, “These helicopters belong to Afghanistan, and we still demand their return.”

Following the fall of the previous Afghan government on 15 August 2021, officials from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan confirmed that 22 military planes and 24 helicopters had entered their airspace.

The Taliban has repeatedly asserted its ownership of these aircraft. Last year, Taliban Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid declared that they would never allow Afghanistan’s northern neighbours to seize or use them.