Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has once again asked the world to lift sanctions imposed on the country and expressed willingness to work with all nations, including the US.

In an article published in Al Jazeera, Muttaqi, said that not only has the war come to an end but Afghanistan is being administered by an independent, powerful, united, central and responsible government. 

He said that a unique opportunity has emerged to embark on rapprochement between Afghanistan and the world.

“The conditions are ripe for Afghanistan to rise up as a responsible and independent member of the international community and to fulfil its responsibility in promoting global peace and security. The international community, on its part, should reciprocate by welcoming Afghanistan into its fold while paying respect to its independence and assisting it to stand on its feet. Our foreign policy will be based on a balanced and independent approach, that avoids entanglement in global and regional rivalries. We will pursue opportunities for shared interests and peaceful coexistence, based on the principle of equality and respect,” he wrote.

Muttaqi acknowledged the crisis in the country and blamed sanctions imposed by the US and other countries for it.

“The primary cause of the ongoing economic crisis is the imposition of sanctions and banking restrictions by the United States. This impedes and delays our efforts to address the humanitarian crisis,” Muttaqi wote.

“What moral and political justifications can the US have for imposing crippling sanctions on a war-torn nation?”

He added that over the past two decades, the Afghan economy “was made wholly dependent on foreign aid” and now with zero aid inflows, there was a need to “address the basic and fundamental needs of the Afghan people”.

He also reminded the US and other countries that sanctions and pressures do not resolve differences. “There is a need for the international community to establish political and economic relations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan while respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Muttaqi warned that if sanctions result in another failed government in Afghanistan, it would result in grave consequences not only for the country but the whole world.

“Such a scenario will be accompanied by a great human tragedy that will not be limited to Afghanistan, but rather usher in new and unforeseen security, refugee, economic, health and other challenges for our neighbours, the region and the world.”

According to Muttaqi, the cultural sensibilities of Afghanistan require a “cautious approach.”

“As for our internal affairs, which have at times been misconceived or misconstrued, there remains the need to dispel misinformation and depict an accurate picture of the values and needs of Afghanistan. The religious and cultural sensibilities of our society require a cautious approach. Any government that has not maintained the proper equilibrium, pertaining to such sensibilities, has ultimately faced serious difficulties. This is a lesson that our recent history has emphasised over and over again,” Muttaqi wrote.

On the government’s achievements, the minister claimed that action has been taken to ensure that Afghanistan soil was not used against other countries while the cultivation of drugs has been banned.

“We celebrate, and take pride, in our diversity and rich history. We don’t believe in imposing the majority’s will on a minority. In our view, every citizen of the country is an inseparable part of the collective whole.”

Muttaqi acknowledged that there remain “challenges and shortcomings” and sought time, resources and cooperation to address those issues. “Virtually all countries of the world have problems of their own. Yet, we choose to assist and alleviate, rather than shun and exacerbate.”

The supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a special decree on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, has ordered the release of 70 detainees from the prisons of Kandahar and Helmand provinces. 

Fifty-six of these prisoners are from Helmand prison and 14 others are from Kandahar prison.

The officials of the Military Court of the South-West region said that these released prisoners were arrested on charges of abusing the name of the Islamic Emirate, carrying illegal weapons, moral corruption and other criminal offenses.

“On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, the leader of the Islamic Emirate has pardoned you [prisoners], said Ghulam Rasool Ehsani, head of the South West Zone Military Court.

He also asked the prisoners not to engage in actions that cause depravity and corruption in society.

The released prisoners meanwhile say they will not commit any crimes after this.

The US is working to assist 44 Americans who want to leave Afghanistan as well as several others detained by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.

“There are several Americans who are being detained by the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan). We are working to secure their freedom,” Blinken told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

“The families have asked that we protect their identities and don’t speak publicly to their cases,” he added.

“Those who have been detained — how many other Americans are there?” said Republican Representative Joe Wilson.

“As we speak, American citizens who identified themselves to us who are in Afghanistan — some of whom have been there since the withdrawal, some of whom went back to Afghanistan — there are about, that we’re in contact with, about 175. Forty-four of them are ready to leave, and we are working to effectuate their departure,” Blinken responded.

Republican lawmakers have been accusing President Joe Biden of the “failed” withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the chaos at Kabul airport in August 2021.

Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee requested documents related to the controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan from the State Department as part of an investigation.

During the hearing Thursday at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Republican chairman Michael McCaul gave Blinken until the end of Monday to release an internal dissent cable written by at least 23 diplomats serving at the US Embassy in Kabul in July 2021.

“I have the subpoena. it’s right here. And I’m prepared to serve this,” McCaul told Blinken.

The classified cable reportedly warned of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

Blinken said in response to the committee’s request that the “tradition of having a dissent channel is one that is cherished in the department, and goes back decades.”

“It’s a unique way for anyone in the department to speak truth to power as they see it,” he said.

“These cables may only be shared with senior officials in the department, and again that’s to protect the integrity of the process to make sure we don’t have a chilling effect on those who might want to come forward,” he continued.

He said the State Department is “prepared to make the relevant information in that cable available, including through a briefing or some other mechanism.”