0
0
The Afghan Taliban Monday greatly defended their government on fresh criticism by the United States that the only leadership in Kabul “was dominated by one ethnicity” and did not have inclusiveness.
This is invalid and we refused,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid to VOA when asking his reaction to critical comments made by US special envoys for Afghanistan, Tom West.
In our government, all requirements within the community framework and our values have been considered,” Mujahid insisted.
West Said on Saturday, while speaking at an international security conference in Germany, that his meeting with Taliban leaders respected women’s rights for education and work was productive, but he found them “rigid” on questions about representative government.
There is no single woman in a leadership position in this government. Very well dominated by one ethnicity. I think there is a scarcity of professionals in most of the senior levels of this government which is very highly educated,” West said.
The Taliban is an ethnic Pashtun, a majority group in Afghanistan, and their interim cabinet consists mostly of senior group leaders, including those who are under US sanctions related to terrorism and the United Nations.
The Islamic group regained power from the government supported by the West in August and the US together with the NATO allies withdrew all troops from the war-hit by a war after 20 years.
Taliban quickly installed a temporary government, known as the Afghan Islamic Emirate, but the international community has not recognized it as a legitimate country ruler.
Before considering the legitimacy problem, the foreign government wants a hard-line group to regulate the country through a broad-based ruling system that represents all ethnic Afghanistan, respecting human rights, including women’s rights for education and work, and prohibits terrorists to use the country to cross the attacker .
The Taliban had banned females from education and worked in their previous government from 1996 to 2001. Since returning to power six months ago, the hardline group had placed restrictions on women such as requiring them to wear headscarves and accompanied by relatively male relatively close.
Most of the public sector female employees, except those in the Ministry of Health and Education are not allowed to continue their duties.
Monday, the Taliban Ministry for the promotion of virtue and representatives of prevention, is responsible for providing strict group interpretations of Islam, announcing that female government employees will be dismissed from work if they do not wear all headscarves or veils while working.
However, the Taliban has opened a private and public university to female students and has promised to allow all school age girls back to school at the end of March. They have blamed delays in financial constraints and the time needed to ensure that female students continue the class in accordance with Islamic Islamic law.
The West emphasized on Saturday that Washington was not alone in urging the Taliban to meet international expectations, saying that Afghanistan neighbors along with regional countries, including China, Iran and Russia, also supported calls.
Taliban leaders traveled to Qatar last week for the last round of meetings with representatives of foreign governments, including diplomats from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), on various problems, including diplomatic recognition for their government and their economy and Humanity Help for Afghanistan.
In post-meeting statements, the GCC emphasized the need for Taliban to design a national reconciliation plan that “respects basic freedom and rights, including women’s rights to work and education.”
