The Islamic Emirate says pressure from the United States on the United Nations and some countries has hindered formal recognition of its government in Afghanistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, told Ariana News on Monday that Washington is pressuring the UN and several countries to refrain from formal engagement with Kabul.

“They may not say it openly or have announced it, but overall it appears that pressure is being put on the United Nations and some other countries, preventing them from engaging with us. Otherwise, engagement should have taken place by now,” Mujahid said.

He said some countries remain under the influence of major global powers, preventing them from making further progress in their relations with the Islamic Emirate.

“Countries that were at war or in conflict with us, or some countries that are still under the influence of those major powers, naturally have not been able to make progress in engagement. The blame does not lie with Afghanistan, and their policies have not changed since the war,” he said.

Meanwhile, analysts say the United States continues to have significant influence over the foreign policies of many countries. They argue that unless Washington changes its approach toward the Islamic Emirate, further progress toward formal recognition is likely to remain difficult.

The Islamic Emirate, however, says its foreign policy is focused on economic interests and that Kabul seeks to expand relations with all countries.

Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of Pakistan’s Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and opposition leader in the National Assembly, said Afghanistan continues to be viewed mainly through a security lens in regional forums.

Speaking at the opening session of a three-day public jirga in Southern Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, Achakzai said Afghan people were not adequately represented in discussions about their country, including at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

He said blaming Afghanistan alone for regional security challenges ignored the country’s history of decades of conflict, foreign interventions and proxy rivalries involving major and regional powers.

Achakzai also said the powers and proxies involved during the Cold War bear historical responsibility for the destruction of Afghanistan.