Failure to recognise government can create problems for the world, Taliban warn US

The Taliban has warned the United States that a failure to recognise their government in Afghanistan and continued freezing of Afghan funds abroad would create problems not only in the restive region, but also for the world.

Ever since the Taliban militants took over Afghanistan in August, no country has formally recognised the Taliban government. China and Pakistan are the only two countries who have been engaging with the militants, while Islamabad has called on the world governments to establish formal relations with the insurgents.

Also, as billions of dollars in Afghan assets and funds abroad have also been frozen, the country has been facing severe economic and humanitarian crises.

“Our message to America is, if unrecognition continues, Afghan problems continue, it is the problem of the region and could turn into a problem for the world,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told journalists at a news conference on Saturday.

He said the reason the Taliban and the United States went to war last time was also because the two did not have formal diplomatic ties.

Responding to WION'squestion on recent reports about US planning to use Pakistan's airspace to carry out strikes against Islamic State militants in Afghanistan, Zabihullah said, "It is not true that the United States is bombing Afghanistan through Pakistan. We will not allow US to use Afghan airspace to carry out any strikes."

He also said that the Taliban government has conveyed to the United States to reopen its embassy in Afghanistan, adding, "We want diplomatic relations with all countries to be revived, including in the United States, so that we can maintain legitimate and good relations."

The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the September 11, 2001, attack after the then-Taliban government refused to hand over chief of terrorist group al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden.

“Those issues which caused the war, they could have been solved through negotiation, they could have been solved through political compromise too,” Mujahid said.

He added that recognition was the right of the Afghan people.

While no country has recognised the Taliban government, senior officials from a number of countries have met with the movement's leadership both in Kabul and abroad.

The latest visit was by Turkmen Foreign Minister Rasit Meredow, who was in Kabul on Saturday.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, met Taliban officials in Qatar earlier this week, while Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi landed in Kabul to meet Taliban leaders on October 20.

(With inputs from agencies)