KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has called on Iran to prioritize their recognition.
In an interview with Iran’s Tabnak news agency, Mujahid emphasized the Taliban’s expectation that Tehran should take the lead in formal recognition.
Mujahid stated that countries should make their decisions about recognizing the Taliban “freely.” So far, no country has officially recognized the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
The international community has demanded that the Taliban respect human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, and establish an inclusive government.
Over the past three years, however, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights.
According to a recent study by the Middle East Institute, 90 percent of the Taliban leadership comes from one ethnic group. In the interview, Mujahid stressed that interactions between various countries and Afghanistan should be conducted as with any “independent and free” nation.
Regarding Iran’s water rights, Mujahid affirmed the Taliban’s commitment to fulfilling these rights based on existing agreements.
Additionally, Mujahid mentioned that the Taliban would participate in the third Doha meeting if their conditions are accepted by the United Nations. “The decision has been made for Afghanistan to attend the upcoming Doha meeting, provided that the Taliban’s conditions are met. We will wait until the meeting to see what changes occur,” he said.
The third Doha meeting is scheduled to take place on June 30 and July 1 in Qatar, hosted by the United Nations.
The absence of women and representatives from Afghanistan’s civil society at the meeting has sparked widespread reactions.
