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Taliban leader says in Eid message there ‘will be an Islamic Emirate’
In his annual message ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, Taliban leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada on Sunday called on Afghans to “contribute to the redevelopment of our homeland” in order for there to be a prosperous and progressive country “in the shade of an Islamic system.”
“Let us attain this end by moving away from self-interests and pursuit of power, by making Islamic values and national interests our guiding principles, and by rebuilding as a strong and unified nation through forgiveness, reconciliation and compassion towards one another,” he said.
He also stated that once foreign troops have withdrawn – what he called “the end of occupation” – there shall be an “Afghan-inclusive Islamic system.”
Emphasizing that there would be an Islamic Emirate, he said: “This land is the shared home of all Afghans. We must unite upon Islamic injunctions and protect ourselves from all discord and prejudice.
This comes after the Afghan government, international stakeholders and regional countries have all come out in strong support of maintaining a Republic system.
The Taliban leader however went on to state: “The arms of the Islamic Emirate are wide open for all Afghans that have previously stood in opposition to us.
“We are extending our hand of amnesty and affection, and inviting them to join the path of truth. Stubbornness, vindictiveness and enmity will not amount to anything, but conversely, nations attain honor and glory through tolerance, self-restraint and embracing the truth,” he said.
He also said the group considers the withdrawal of US and NATO forces “a good step and strongly urge that all parts of the Doha agreement be implemented.”
He called for the Doha agreement, signed in February last year between the Taliban and the US, to be fully implemented stating that the deal had been violated by the US.
“Contrary to commitments, the remaining prisoners that were set to be released three months after the launch of negotiations have yet to be freed and the names of officials of the Islamic Emirate yet to be removed from sanctions and rewards lists.”
He said the Taliban “stands ready to protect the independence and sovereignty of its homeland at any cost as it has proven over the past two decades.”
He also said the Taliban has “prioritize negotiations” and has “dispatched a powerful negotiation team for these negotiations to move intra-Afghan negotiations forward.
“However, the Kabul administration has repeatedly tried to sabotage the ongoing political process through various means and continues to engage in such activity,” he said.
He acknowledged there was territory under the control of the Taliban and also said the “Islamic Emirate safeguards and supports all public projects, facilities and infrastructure, and strives to strengthen, grow and advance them.”
Akhundzada said the Taliban supports educational processes and has “assigned a special commission for this purpose”.
According to him, harm to civilians and loss of life in war “is upsetting and regrettable”.
It is distressing that civilians are still being killed and harmed in the raids, blind bombardments, artillery strikes and other attacks of the opposing side, which remains utterly unacceptable by any means.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate said on Wednesday the government of Oman released nine Afghan citizens imprisoned in the Gulf country on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
The ministry stated that the release was carried out under a special decree by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman.
The statement added that six of the released individuals have already returned to Afghanistan following coordination with relevant authorities, and the remaining three will return soon.
The Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, along with the Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate and his accompanying delegation, on Wednesday met with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Industry, Investment, and Trade and several other Uzbek officials in Tashkent, the Afghan commerce ministry said in a statement.
During the meeting, both sides discussed strengthening economic relations, resolving issues faced by Afghan traders, and effectively implementing shared economic matters.
Zahid stated that the two countries should take prompt action in the agreed-upon areas.
The Uzbek side pledged to soon begin work on establishing a joint trade center and announced that a high-level delegation from Uzbekistan will visit Kabul in May.
The 2nd Special Meeting of the Economic Commission for the year 1446 Hijri was held under the leadership of Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on the 28th, 29th, and 30th of Shawwal al-Mukarram (April 26 to 28), the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.
At the meeting, a decision was made to allow the export of Afghan livestock for six months each year, under a regulated mechanism.
In addition, the General Directorate of Administrative Affairs was assigned the responsibility of formulating a comprehensive process, in coordination with relevant ministries, to expedite the processing of investors’ and traders’ affairs within government institutions and to resolve existing challenges across all sectors.
This procedure is to be submitted first to the Economic Commission for endorsement, and then to the office of the IEA’s supreme leader for final approval.
This second meeting follows reports on the decisions made during the first meeting of the Economic Commission, which was held under the leadership of the supreme leader on the 3rd of Jumada al-Awwal 1446 (November 29, 2024).
At the first meeting, a committee chaired by the General Directorate of Administrative Affairs was assigned the task of formulating a procedure for facilitating the sale and distribution of state-owned plots and the leasing of buildings in accordance with urban planning principles.
This committee presented the draft procedure for review during this second meeting, and after incorporating certain amendments, the procedure will be sent to the office of Haibatullah Akhundzada for final approval.
According to this procedure, citizens can complete the land registration process of private land within 15 days, and have the land map approved and initiate construction work within one month.
At the first meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture was tasked with transferring land to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in all provinces for the establishment of industrial parks.
Meanwhile, during the second meeting, both ministries reported on the implementation of this decision, confirming that the transfer of 80,000 hectares of land had been completed in most provinces, while in some provinces the process is nearing completion.
This initiative is expected to resolve the issue of land shortage for industrialists across all provinces.
Additionally, a committee led by the Ministry of Public Health was assigned to develop a procedure to prevent the smuggling of human, animal, and agricultural medicines, health products, and food items.
The committee prepared and presented the procedure for evaluation during the second meeting. After integrating a series of amendments, the procedure will be submitted to the office of the IEA leader for approval.
Also during the second special meeting of the Economic Commission, reports on the implementation of the decisions made in the first meeting were presented by the relevant ministries and institutions.
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