Taliban call for lifting of sanctions against 'Islamic Emirate', say willing to work with all

On the issue of further sanctions on the Taliban, the group`s spokesperson Suhail Shaheen was seen on the backfoot in a recent interview. He said it would be a kind of injustice against the people of Afghanistan to impose sanctions.

Kabul: Afghanistan`s new acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi has called for sanctions to be lifted against the `Islamic Emirate.` Speaking at a press conference in capital Kabul, Muttaqi on Tuesday called on Afghan expats to return home to help develop the country, Ariana News reported.

He said the Islamic Emirate is willing to work with all countries including the US but made it clear they "will not be dictated to". Muttaqi added, "we can’t allow any sanctions or embargoes" to be imposed on Afghanistan. Last week, the Taliban formed the interim "Islamic Emirate", appointing in its new government hardliners who oversaw the fight against the US-led military coalition. 

The cabinet members consist of many Taliban figures that are on the UN Sanctions List. Taliban had announced the caretaker government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, naming Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as interim prime minister and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the group, as his deputy.

After the Taliban announced its interim government that included UN-designated terrorists, the US reacted by saying that the UNSC will base any decisions on de-listing terrorists, based on the Taliban`s human rights policies.

Meanwhile, on the issue of further sanctions on the Taliban, the group`s spokesperson Suhail Shaheen in a recent interview was seen on the backfoot. He said it would be a kind of injustice against the people of Afghanistan to impose sanctions.

"While we are turning a new page which is a phase of the construction of Afghan peace, for the people of Afghanistan, they impose sanctions at this critical phase. ... So, I think it would be a great and blatant injustice to impose sanctions against the people of Afghanistan at this most critical of times," Shaheen said in an interview with China`s Global Times.