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Muttaqi defends Afghanistan’s policies, calls for stronger international ties
Muttaqi argued that the situation in Afghanistan is now better than during the decades of conflict, including the 20 years of the US and NATO-led war.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has defended the Islamic Emirate’s policies on women and girls, sanctions and security, while calling for stronger relations with the United States and other countries.
In a BBC interview this week, Muttaqi was asked why Afghan women and girls face restrictions on education, work and public life. He rejected criticism of Afghanistan’s human rights situation and said sanctions against the country were politically motivated.
“This is an injustice to Afghans. It’s an excuse. There are no sensible reasons for sanctions being imposed on Afghanistan,” he said.
Muttaqi argued that the situation in Afghanistan is now better than during the decades of conflict, including the 20 years of the US and NATO-led war.
He said Afghanistan had endured around 40 years of war and that the Islamic Emirate was now seeking to strengthen relations with countries in both the East and West.
“Our relationships have developed a lot with regional and eastern countries, in terms of economy, politics, relationships and investments,” he said, adding that there had also been developments with European countries.
On recent “technical talks” in Belgium on the issue of Afghan migrants, he described the development as positive and said the Islamic Emirate hoped for a good future.
Muttaqi acknowledged that formal international recognition is important, but described Russia’s recognition of the Islamic Emirate as a positive development.
Asked about restrictions on women, he said Afghanistan’s policies should be viewed through Afghan cultural and social values rather than Western standards.
“The conduct with women shouldn’t be looked at through the glasses of Western culture and tradition. Afghan values should be considered,” he said.
Muttaqi claimed that more than three million girls are currently studying in schools and madrassas, and said female students at religious schools also study modern subjects.
He said more than three million girls below Grade 6 are attending school, with female teachers involved in their education.
However, he acknowledged concerns raised by foreign diplomats and organisations that the continued exclusion of girls from secondary education could eventually create shortages of female teachers and doctors.
“This really is a problem. And it will be considered,” he said, while adding that Afghanistan does not currently face such shortages and that the authorities would seek to prevent them in the future.
Muttaqi also rejected claims that al-Qaeda or other foreign militant groups are operating in Afghanistan.
He said the Islamic Emirate would not allow groups to use Afghan territory to plan attacks against other countries, arguing that allegations about the presence of foreign militants were part of propaganda.
“So far no one has presented any proof,” he said.
Muttaqi also pointed to the elimination of poppy cultivation and improvements in security as developments he said should be recognised.
Seeking normal ties with Washington
On relations with the United States, Muttaqi said the Islamic Emirate wants positive and normal relations with Washington but would not accept the presence of foreign military forces in Afghanistan.
He said Afghanistan is a developing country with investment opportunities in many sectors, although the Islamic Emirate does not know how much interest US investors currently have in the country.
He said the return of around six million Afghans had placed pressure on the country, but claimed that returnees had been taken back to their home areas. He added that many were skilled workers who were already contributing to Afghanistan’s development.
Despite continuing international concerns over women’s rights, humanitarian needs and Afghanistan’s economic situation, Muttaqi said the Islamic Emirate wants to deepen diplomatic and economic engagement with the international community.
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, has called on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to base its assessments on accurate information and objective facts in response to the mission’s latest report.
Fitrat said the report described the detention of some individuals by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and other official institutions of the Islamic Emirate as “arbitrary.” However, he claimed that these detentions were carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to prevent acts deemed contrary to Sharia and to reform individuals.
The deputy spokesperson added that governments in various countries also carry out such detentions.
He also questioned why UNAMA’s report had not mentioned the efforts and achievements of various Islamic Emirate institutions in providing assistance to the public, accommodating returning migrants, preventing security threats, making political progress, and implementing major economic projects with humanitarian dimensions.
Criticizing UNAMA’s approach, Fitrat said that instead of working to bring Afghanistan and the international community closer together and resolve misunderstandings, the mission was engaged in what he described as “propaganda against the system” and seeking to portray
Afghanistan negatively. He said this approach was inconsistent with the principle of neutrality that the mission is expected to uphold.
The European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas Frellesen, has described restrictions on women and girls as a major obstacle to normalising relations between the EU and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), following a three-day visit to Kabul.
According to an EU statement issued Thursday, Frellesen visited Kabul from October 12 to 14, holding discussions with senior IEA officials, diplomats, regional partners, representatives of the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and members of Afghan civil society.
During the visit, he expressed serious concern over restrictions on women and girls, saying they remained a significant barrier to closer relations between the EU and the IEA. In a meeting with Afghan women’s civil society representatives, he also heard about the impact of the restrictions and women’s resilience in the face of these challenges.
On security, Frellesen acknowledged that conditions in Afghanistan had generally improved but warned about the continued presence and cross-border activities of terrorist groups, including Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). He stressed that the IEA must ensure Afghan territory is not used to threaten other countries.
The EU envoy also recognised the IEA’s counter-narcotics efforts but raised concern over a renewed increase in poppy cultivation. He called for sustainable alternative livelihoods for farmers affected by the ban on opium cultivation, noting that the EU was supporting such initiatives.
Frellesen urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resume dialogue to address their security concerns, emphasising the need to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The EU also welcomed regional and international mediation efforts, the OIC’s role in promoting stability, and initiatives aimed at strengthening regional connectivity.
Reaffirming the EU’s support for the UN-led Doha Process, Frellesen said coordinated international engagement and constructive participation by the IEA were essential to Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community. He also stressed the importance of inclusive governance and compliance with international obligations.
The discussions further covered continued EU assistance in healthcare, education, resilience and livelihoods, including support for Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan. Frellesen emphasised that returns should be safe, dignified and orderly, and called for greater attention to climate-related projects.
He also highlighted the importance of a resilient private sector and the preservation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.
The EU said its engagement with Afghanistan would remain principled and pragmatic, with a focus on addressing the needs of the Afghan people.
Qatar has called for stronger international solidarity, increased humanitarian and development assistance, and continued constructive dialogue on Afghanistan amid the return of large numbers of Afghans from neighboring countries.
The call was made by Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva during a high-level dialogue on Afghan refugees and returnees on October 14, held on the sidelines of the 77th session of the Executive Committee of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
During the meeting, Qatar’s mission highlighted the humanitarian, economic and development challenges facing Afghanistan and stressed the need for greater international coordination to address the needs of returning Afghans.
Qatar also reaffirmed its commitment to the Afghan Refugee Solutions Strategy and its Support Platform, noting that it chairs the platform’s first Core Group. The mission emphasized the importance of increasing international support for countries and communities that have hosted Afghan refugees for decades.
It further stressed that Afghan returnees need access to essential services, shelter, education and livelihood opportunities to support their sustainable reintegration.
The Qatari mission said the country continues to support various sectors in Afghanistan through its humanitarian and development institutions, particularly education, healthcare and livelihoods.
Qatar also highlighted its efforts to facilitate international dialogue on Afghanistan, including by hosting meetings of special envoys and working groups under UN auspices, aimed at improving coordination, supporting stability and facilitating Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community.
The mission called for fairer burden-sharing, better coordination of humanitarian and development assistance, and stronger regional and international cooperation to find lasting solutions for Afghan refugees and internally displaced people.
It reaffirmed Qatar’s readiness to continue working with UNHCR and other partners to help ensure that Afghans can live with dignity, peace and stability.
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