Zabihullah Mujahid Urges Afghans to Support Taliban Administration
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban administration, has called on Afghan citizens to support the Taliban administration on the fifth anniversary of the group’s entry into Kabul and the collapse of the republican system. His appeal for public support comes as the Taliban’s policies in recent years have faced widespread criticism over violations of rights and public freedoms, especially women’s rights.
In a video message broadcast today, Saturday, 24 Asad, on state television, Mujahid said that five years ago on this day, “a major war and occupation ended” and “the ground was prepared for the rule of an Islamic system.” He described the Taliban administration’s rule as a “blessing” and called on people to “support” this system.
The Taliban administration spokesman also said citizens should be “grateful” for the group’s return to power and should “honour” the anniversary of its takeover of Afghanistan. He did not refer in his message to the restrictions and policies that have had a broad impact on people’s lives, especially those of women, in recent years.
Taliban officials have also not been unanimous in their positions on the level of public backing they enjoy. Some have claimed to have the support of the people, while others say full public support is neither possible nor necessary.
Most recently, Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Taliban administration, told the BBC that having the full support of the people was “neither necessary nor possible.” The Taliban administration entered Kabul in Asad 1400 after the collapse of the republican system and has held power in Afghanistan ever since.
