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Taliban has no plans for governance: Mansoor

Published

6 years ago

January 2, 2021

Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, a member of government’s negotiating team, said on Saturday the Taliban has no plan in place to govern, but their “power-hungry and narrow-minded spirit has not changed.”

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the first round of peace talks and its future prospects Mansoor said the Taliban are eager to rule but have no operational plans to govern.
The discussion was organized by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS).

Mansoor, and Hossain Ramouz, a university lecturer, were speakers at the session.

Mansoor said “we have to move towards an interim government while maintaining the current” system adding that preserving the current achievements and values of the past 20 years is a must.

“By preserving the framework of the system and human values, we have to move towards an interim government, and the structure of this government must be a Chancellery,” Mansoor said.

According to him, Taliban are not a political group, but they want power.

“The mentality of the Taliban has not changed at all, the Taliban still has a militaristic sense and thinks they can achieve power through war.”

Ramouz said that the version of Sharia introduced by the Taliban would not be a good development model.

“The Taliban must abandon totalitarianism, because it is not possible, and both negotiators must agree to merge the republic and the Emirate, but we need to first have a clear definition of the Taliban’s Emirate,” Ramouz said.

Meanwhile, referring to the challenges the negotiating team faced in the peace talks with Taliban Mansoor said: “The Taliban does not accept anything called a republic or a government. The Taliban want to launch a religious game (Shia and Sunni).”

Mansoor also said that the Taliban think the women in the government’s negotiating team are only symbolic.

“Issues about women cannot be just on paper, women must be at the table. The Taliban think the women in the government’s negotiating team are symbolic, but they [women] have shown that they are taking strong steps to defend their rights and humanity,” Mansoor said.

Mansoor also said that the Taliban are not a religious movement nor can they justify their war.

“The Taliban is not a religious movement because they [Taliban] are not ready for a religious debate in any area, and their war has no religious justification and is not defendable,” Mansoor added.

He also raised concerns over differences of opinion between the government and the High Council of National Reconciliation.

“There are differences of opinion between the government and the High Council of National Reconciliation that need to be addressed as soon as possible.”

Mansoor also blamed the Taliban for the recent attacks on journalists.

“There is no doubt that the Taliban are involved in the recent killing and assassination of journalists,” Mansoor added.

Bismillah Adil, a Ghor journalist, was gunned down in a targeted attack on Friday.

Adil’s death is the latest in a string of targeted killings of media workers, civil society activists, and civil servants who have been systematically killed over the past few months.

In just two months, five journalists have been killed in the country in what is perceived as a ploy to silence the free media in the country.

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UNAMA calls for greater transparency and accountability in Afghanistan’s security institutions

The report also says fear of reprisals, a lack of trust in authorities and barriers to accessing institutions discourage people from reporting alleged misconduct.

Published

10 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Ariana News

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to strengthen transparency, oversight and accountability within the country’s security institutions.

In a new 38-page report, UNAMA examines measures taken by the IEA since August 2021 to oversee security institutions and address misconduct by security personnel.

The report says the authorities have taken some steps to promote discipline and oversight, including issuing directives, establishing internal monitoring units and creating new bodies tasked with addressing misconduct by security personnel.

However, UNAMA says these measures have not been accompanied by sufficient public information about complaints, investigations and disciplinary or judicial actions.

The report identifies several bodies responsible for oversight, including the Security and Filtration Commission, the High Directorate of Supervision and Monitoring of Decrees and Edicts, the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Commission for Hearing Complaints, and the Supreme Court.

“The limited amount of public information on complaints received, investigations conducted, and disciplinary or judicial actions taken by relevant de facto bodies undermine confidence and weaken deterrence,” said Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge.

UNAMA documented cases in which IEA authorities arrested and investigated security personnel accused of misconduct and referred some cases to military courts. However, the mission said many complaints reportedly remain unresolved.

The report also says fear of reprisals, a lack of trust in authorities and barriers to accessing institutions discourage people from reporting alleged misconduct. Women, in particular, face additional obstacles because of restrictions affecting their daily lives, UNAMA said.

UNAMA has recommended that the IEA authorities establish and consistently enforce clear rules and codes of conduct for security personnel, in line with international standards. It also called for clearer regulations governing the use of force, arrests, detention, searches and crowd control.

The UN mission further urged the authorities to establish safe, accessible and inclusive complaint mechanisms that allow people to report misconduct without fear of retaliation or discrimination, while protecting victims, witnesses and whistleblowers.

UNAMA also called for regular public reporting on complaints, investigations and disciplinary or judicial measures, as well as stronger systems for collecting and maintaining data on misconduct.

According to the report, greater transparency and consistent accountability could improve professionalism, strengthen public trust in security institutions and contribute to better governance, respect for human rights and Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.

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MoU on TAPI gas purchase signed between Afghan Gas and Türkmengaz

Published

12 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Ariana News

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs has announced that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the purchase of gas under the TAPI project was signed on Monday in Torghundi, Herat province, between the state-owned Afghan Gas Company and

Turkmenistan’s Türkmengaz Company, in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National Leader of Turkmenistan.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, the MoU will determine the price of gas, the required volume of gas, and the gas distribution process.

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Baradar discusses TAPI progress with Turkmenistan’s national leader

Published

13 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Ariana News

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, during his visit to Herat province, met with Turkmenistan’s National Leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, in Torghundi on Monday to discuss the latest progress on the TAPI project and future economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

According to a statement from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Baradar said during the meeting that work on the TAPI project in Herat is progressing well and that the remaining work is expected to be completed within the scheduled timeframe.

Baradar urged the Turkmen side to reach an agreement on the price of gas and called for the gas pricing formula to be adjusted in a way that would prevent sharp fluctuations in European markets from affecting gas prices.

He also proposed that the gas agreement be concluded for a long-term period, with simple terms and a flexible mechanism for reviewing the contract.

Baradar called for Turkmenistan’s cooperation in constructing a gas distribution and consumption network in Herat, establishing a joint technical and legal commission to address the remaining issues related to the TAPI project, and making joint efforts to create more job opportunities for Afghans through the project.

He said the TAPI project has strengthened strategic cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and stressed the need for the two sides to work together to expand trade by reopening the Aqina border crossing for oil transit, facilitating Afghan transit goods at the Turkmenbashi port, resolving existing obstacles to the reactivation of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, and rebuilding and expanding the Herat–Torghundi railway.

Baradar also called on Turkmenistan to support major economic projects in Afghanistan in the electricity and transport sectors.

During the meeting, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said relations between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have been strengthened on the basis of goodwill and good-neighborly relations, creating opportunities for cooperation in various fields.

Berd Berdimuhamedov added that Turkmenistan is ready to cooperate not only on extending the TAPI pipeline to Herat, but also on constructing a gas distribution network in the province and launching practical work on the TAP project. He said a number of foreign companies have expressed readiness to invest in the TAP project.

He further said Ashgabat is ready to provide all necessary facilities at Turkmenbashi port for Afghan transit and commercial goods.

He also stressed the need for joint efforts to reactivate the Lapis Lazuli Corridor to boost trade between the two countries and the wider region.

He assured the Afghan side that work on projects already launched in Afghanistan’s electricity and railway sectors would be completed on schedule and at an accelerated pace.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a technical committee led by senior officials to follow up on and implement the TAPI, TAP, fiber-optic and railway projects and ensure that work on these projects progresses more effectively.