Afghan govt formation delayed

By news report

ISLAMABAD: The announcement of a new government in Afghanistan, earlier expected to be made after Friday afternoon prayers, would now not happen until Saturday at the earliest, a Taliban spokesman told AFP.

While the West has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the Taliban, there were some signs of engagement with the new leaders gathering pace.

China confirmed a tweet from a Taliban spokesman hours earlier, indicating that Beijing will keep open its embassy in Kabul.

"We hope the Taliban will establish an open and inclusive political structure, pursue moderate and stable domestic and foreign policy and make a clean break with all terrorist groups," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

The United Nations said it had restarted humanitarian flights to parts of the country, linking the Pakistani capital Islamabad with Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and Kandahar in the south.

The country´s flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines also said it would resume domestic flights later Friday, starting with a plane from Mazar-i-Sharif to Kabul, after getting a "green light" from the Taliban and aviation authorities.

Western Union and Moneygram said they were resuming money transfers, which many Afghans rely on from relatives abroad to survive, and Qatar said it was working to reopen the airport in Kabul -- a lifeline for aid.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman in Qatar Friday said China had promised to keep its embassy in Afghanistan open and to increase humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged country.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, a member of the Taliban´s political office in Doha, Qatar, "held a phone conversation with Wu Jianghao, Deputy Foreign Minister of the People´s Republic of China," spokesman Sohail Shaheen tweeted.

"The Chinese deputy foreign minister said they would maintain their embassy in Kabul, adding our relations would beef up as compared to the past. Afghanistan can play an important role in security and development of the region," he said.

"China will also continue and increase its humanitarian assistance especially for treatment of covid-19," the spokesman continued.

In a related development, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid Friday said Pakistan will face no threat from Afghanistan and expressed hope that its help to the Afghan nation will continue "in terms of peace efforts and increasing bilateral trade and commerce”.

Speaking online at an international conference hosted by the Pak-Afghan Youth Forum titled "Rebuilding Afghanistan Together", at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts here, Mujahid said Afghanistan "appreciates the longstanding contributions of Pakistan towards the Afghan people".

Mujahid, who last week appeared in an interview on Geo News programme "Jirga", said the issue of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was one that the Pakistan government must resolve, not Afghanistan.

Show host Saleem Safi asked the spokesman if the Taliban will speak to the TTP to not engage in conflict with Pakistan.

In response, Mujahid said, "The future government will have the rightful say about this. However, our principle stance is that we will not allow the use of our soil by anyone for destroying peace in someone else's country."

He said if the TTP considered the Afghan Taliban as their leaders, "they will have to listen to them, whether they like it or not".

The Taliban spokesman added, "The issue of the TTP is one that Pakistan will have to deal with, not Afghanistan. It is up to Pakistan, and Pakistani Ulema and religious figures, not the Taliban, to decide on the legitimacy or illegitimacy of their war and to formulate a strategy in response."

In his remarks at the conference, Mujahid also spoke of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) saying the extension of the corridor, which links it with Afghanistan, "is very important".

In a related development, Russian news agency TASS Friday reported that Afghanistan’s former vice president Amrullah Saleh had left the Panjshir province and reached Tajikistan.

"The situation in Panjshir is rather difficult. The Taliban are besieging the region from four sides, blocking access to the Internet, electricity and telephone communication. Last night, Saleh left Panjshir and headed for Tajikistan. Most likely, he is already there," the source said.

Turkey’s Yeni Safak newspaper reported that the Taliban had taken the control of Panjshir, citing its correspondent in Kabul.

The newspaper notes that the province earlier saw fierce fighting.

Talking to TRT, a Taliban commander said, "By the grace of Allah Almighty, we are in control of entire Afghanistan. The troublemakers have been defeated and Panjshir is now under our command," said one Taliban commander.