KABUL: Days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi doubted the sustainability of a new regime in Afghanistan, the Taliban strongly reacted to the statement, saying that India will soon know the Taliban’s capability to run the country’s affairs smoothly.
The statement from the Taliban leader comes a week after Modi commented on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan saying “an empire on the basis of terror may dominate for some time but its existence is never permanent”.
“The destroying powers, the thinking that builds an empire on the basis of terror, may dominate for some time in a period of time, but, its existence is never permanent, it cannot suppress humanity for a long time,” Modi wrote on the Twitter handle.
Talking to Radio Pakistan exclusively in Kabul today (Thursday), Taliban leader Shahabuddin Dilawar said India will soon know that the Taliban can run government affairs, warning it not to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
To another question, he said Pakistan was a neighbour of Afghanistan and a friendly country. Dilawar thanked Pakistan for hosting over three million Afghan refugees. “We are thankful to Pakistan for its services for welfare of the refugees,” he added.
Taliban leader underlined that the group wants peaceful ties with all countries based on mutual respect.
The Taliban completed a lighting fast takeover of the country, finally walking into Kabul on Aug 16 without firing a shot, according to Reuters. The group had declared the war in Afghanistan over after taking control of the presidential palace in the Afghan capital.
“Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years,” Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, had told Al Jazeera TV.
Currently, the group is in talks with a spectrum of leaders and politicians in Afghanistan to form an “inclusive government” to run the country, according to multiple statements by Taliban spokesmen.
Since taking over, the Afghan Taliban have reassured Pakistan and other stakeholders that they would not allow any group to use Afghan soil against any country, including Pakistan.
