One week after the Taliban captured Afghanistan capital Kabul following the escape of former president Ashraf Ghani, there is still no clarity on the kind of government that the Islamist group will form in the war-torn country. The greatest symbol of this uncertain situation is the tricolour Afghan national flag, which still flies over the presidential palace. Even though the Taliban has captured the palace, and they are attempting to replace the national flag with their own one, the flag at the presidential flag has not been changed yet.
In fact, dismissing media reports that the Taliban flag was hoisted at the palace removing the Afghan national flag, Taliban leader Abdul Hameed Hamasi has said that they don’t have any problem with the flag.
Today a video was posted on social media showing Hamasi and other Taliban leaders standing inside the presidential palace, where the national flag can be seen flying in the sky behind them. The Taliban leader said that some people from the former government are spreading propaganda that the flag was changed. He alleged that those people don’t want peace to prevail in Afghanistan.
The Talibani leadership has conducted several meetings with the political parties in the country, but the political leaders say no serious discussions on the future political system was held in those meetings. The Afghan political leaders have called for an inclusive government, including representatives from all political parties.
They said that the meetings were held merely as consultations, and no serious discussions were held about future governance in Afghanistan. “There is a need for fundamental discussions, we hope that discussions are held on this issue as soon as possible, because the nation is waiting for the formation of a system,” said Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhel, the former governor of Nangarhar.
Reportedly, the Taliban has hinted that they will form an inclusive government, but there is no clarity on that yet.
Days after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, former president Hamid Karzai, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Dr Abdullah Abdullah and chief of Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar had formed a coordination committee to ensure a smooth transition of power. Yesterday Karzai and Abdullah met with Taliban political office members to hold discussions on the issue.
Taliban political office members Maulawi Shahabuddin Delawari Delawar, Abdul Salam Hanafi, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul Rahman Feda met them at Abdullah’s house in Kabul. After the meeting, Abdullah’s office said that Both sides exchanged views on the current security and political developments, and an inclusive political settlement for the future of the country.
Karzai and Abdullah also held a meeting with Abdul Rahman Mansour, the Taliban’s acting governor for Kabul, and discussed security of the citizens of the city. They reiterated that protecting the life, property and dignity of the citizens of the capital should be prioritized. The Taliban governor pledged that he would do everything possible for the security of the people of Kabul, according to Abdullah’s office.
Kabul has been witnessing massive chaos since the Taliban captured it as thousands of people gathered outside the Kabul Airport trying to get out of the country. Several people have already died in the stampede outside the Airport, which is guarded by the Taliban on the outside and by NATO forces in the inside.
Yesterday the Taliban had said that they will unveil a new governing framework in the next few weeks. “Legal, religious and foreign policy experts in the Taliban aim to present the new governing framework in the next few weeks,” a Taliban official told Reuters.
While the Taliban has been trying to present a ‘moderate’ image, they have made it clear that they will implement the Sharia law. Which means there will be severe restrictions on the citizens on the country, especially on woman.
Most countries in the world, including the EU Commission, has confirmed that they will not recognise a Taliban government in Afghanistan. Due to this, the group may form an ‘inclusive’ government by including some members from the political parties. But what form the government will take and how much authority non-Taliban members in the govt, if any, will have, will be unfolded in the coming weeks.
