Taliban appeal int’l airlines to resume flights
ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF AID AND PASSENGER FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN OPERATING FROM THE KABUL AIRPORT
KABUL: The Taliban government in Afghanistan appealed on Sunday for international flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.
The statement from their foreign affairs ministry comes as the new administration has stepped up efforts to open up the country and gain international acceptance following the collapse of the Western-backed government last month.
A limited number of aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport.
But normal commercial services have yet to resume since it was closed in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that followed the Taliban’s seizure of the capital.
The airport, which was damaged during the evacuation, has since been reopened partially with the assistance of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey.
While some airlines including Pakistan International Airlines have been offering limited services and some people have been able to get places on flights, prices have been reported to be many times higher than normal. At present, airlines such as PIA and Afghanistan’s Kam Air are charging more than $1,200 for a one-way, 40-minute flight from Kabul to Islamabad. Even at that price -- the result of war insurance, according to the airlines -- the irregular flights are heavily oversubscribed.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the suspension of international flights had left many Afghans stranded abroad and also prevented people from travelling for work or study. “Many Afghan citizens were stuck outside and unable to return to their homeland,” he said in a statement.
“Moreover, many Afghan citizens who have international employment or pursue education abroad are now facing difficulties in reaching their destinations,” Balkhi said.
“As the problems at Kabul
International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the IEA assures all airlines of its full cooperation,” he said, using an abbreviation for Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s term for their new government.
Since the Taliban overran Kabul on August 15 and seized control of the country, the Taliban have grappled with a severe economic crisis and have faced pressure on issues ranging from girls’ education to allegations of reprisals against former officials and others associated with the previous government.
Despite international condemnation, the Taliban have said they will continue to impose swift and severe punishments on lawbreakers to stop crimes like robbery, murder and kidnapping that had become widespread in Afghanistan. On Saturday, Taliban authorities in the western Afghan city of Herat killed four alleged kidnappers and hung their bodies up in public to deter others.
New passports, IDS
The Taliban on Saturday hintted they may decide on issuing new passports and national identity cards (IDS) for Afghans, and these may have written on them, the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, according to a report.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson and deputy minister of information and culture, told The Khaama Press News Agency, it is possible that these new documents may be issued by the new administration. However, the existing identity documents remain valid for now, the Taliban-led government had announced last week. Khaama confirmed this to the news agency. Currently, the passport and NID departments are still closed in Afghanistan.