TALIBAN DECLARE ‘AMNESTY’ FOR AFGHANS
The Taliban group declares an amnesty across Afghanistan and urges women to join its government, in a bid to calm nerves across an anxious nation
KABUL: The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government on Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed, a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee the country.
Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s.
The promises of amnesty from Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, were the first comments on how the Taliban might govern on a national level.
KABUL: The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government on Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed, a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee the country.
Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s.
While there were no major reports of abuses or fighting in the capital of Kabul as the Taliban now patrol its streets, many residents have stayed home and remain fearful after the insurgents’ takeover saw prisons emptied and armories looted. Many women have expressed dread that the two-decade Western experiment to expand their rights and remake Afghanistan would not survive the Taliban.
The promises of amnesty from Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, were the first comments on how the Taliban might govern on a national level. His remarks remained vague, however, as the Taliban are still negotiating with political leaders of the country’s fallen government and no formal handover deal has been announced.
Don’t want women to be victims, vow Taliban
“The Islamic emirate doesn’t want women to be victims,” Samangani said, using the militants’ name for Afghanistan. “They should be in the government structure according to shariah law.”
That would be a marked departure from the last time the Taliban were in power, when women were largely confined to their homes.
Samangani didn’t describe exactly what he meant by shariah or Islamic law, implying people already knew the rules the Taliban expected them to follow. He added that “all sides should join” a government.
Amnesty call unclear
It was not clear what he meant by an amnesty, although other Taliban leaders have said they won’t seek revenge on those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign countries. But some in Kabul allege Taliban fighters have lists of people who cooperated with the government and are seeking them out.
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, noted both the Taliban’s vows and the fear of those now under their rule. “Such promises will need to be honoured, and for the time being - again understandably, given past history - these declarations have been greeted with some scepticism,” he said.
Afghan currency plunges to record low amid chaos
Afghanistan’s currency extended losses to a record low as the departure of the acting central bank governor added to political turmoil weighing investor sentiment. The Afghani fell as much as 4.6% on Tuesday to 86.0625 per dollar, a fourth day of decline, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The central bank was told there would be no more dollar shipments on Friday, which curtailed its ability to supply currency and led to more panic, acting governor Ajmal Ahmady tweeted.
Ahmady boarded a military plane at Kabul airport, where thousands sought to leave as the Taliban’s rapid territorial advance led to the collapse of the government. There was no evacuation plan, and President Ashraf Ghani’s departure without creating a transitional government contributed to the chaos, Ahmady wrote.