NATO now needs to deal with Kabul through diplomacy: Mujahid

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) says that the time for power displays by NATO is over and that the organization now needs to make statements regarding Afghanistan in accordance with good diplomatic principles.

In an exclusive interview with Ariana News this week, Zabihullah Mujahid, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan were a failure and that all future contact should be through diplomacy.

“The NATO Secretary General, for a while, may feel his pain and talk about their failures, but they should know that the time for attacks is over; it was proven twenty years ago that these actions did not work and should be dealt with through diplomacy,” said Mujahid.

This comes after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said last week that NATO must stay vigilant in tracking the developments in Afghanistan.

“The main task now is to do whatever we can to preserve as much as possible of the achievements we made on terrorism,” he said.

“That means to hold the Taliban (IEA) government accountable for their promises on terrorism, … but also to be ready to strike over the horizon, long distance, and to stay vigilant as NATO allies, to follow and monitor closely any attempt to reconstitute international terrorist groups in Afghanistan aiming at us.”

But Mujahid said in an interview with Ariana News, broadcast on Monday night, that the Islamic Emirate will never allow Afghanistan to be used as a center for proxy wars between world powers, including China and the United States.

Regarding the international community’s demand for women to be given the right to education and work, Mujahid said that the Islamic Emirate will consider giving women the right to education and work but first need to discuss this with Islamic scholars.

“There is a need in society; women also need jobs, for the implementation, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has shared the issue with Islamic Ulema, so that the issue can be discussed,” Mujahid said.

For more than two decades, Pakistan has been accused of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs but Mujahid said Afghanistan is an independent country and that Pakistan does not have the right to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

“I have to say 100% that we do not want anyone to interfere, including Pakistan. We are an independent country. We do not accept these interventions. Pakistan is a separate country. We do not want to interfere in their affairs and they cannot interfere (in Afghanistan’s affairs),” Mujahid said.

Regarding the dire economic situation, Mujahid said the IEA is working day and night to resolve the problem. He said an promising agreement was reached with Iran last week on exports of fuel and food as well as rail and border security, among other issues.

He said talks were also being held with other regional countries including Uzbekistan and acknowledged Pakistan for their support, particularly in trade.

To watch the full interview – with English subtitles – CLICK HERE