Former govt officials will be given full protection: Afghanistan’s acting Prime Minister

Taliban soldiers stand guard in Panjshir province, north-eastern of Afghanistan, on Wednesday. Pic/AP/PTI

Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund has appealed to former officials of past governments to return to the country and assured them "full protection", saying the period of bloodbath is over and they face a humongous task to rebuild the war-ravaged nation.

"We paid a heavy price for seeing this historic moment in Afghanistan," Mullah Hasan said on Wednesday, a day after the hardline Islamic insurgents unveiled an interim Cabinet after seizing power in Kabul. "We appeal to the officials of past governments to return to their country as we will give them full protection of their lives. We are faced with the huge task of rebuilding and reconstruction of war-ravaged Afghanistan," he said.

He said that the period of bloodbath was over in Afghanistan and reiterated the Taliban's promise of amnesty for anyone who has worked alongside the previous governments following the US-led invasion in 2001, Al-Jazeera news channel reported.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August, ousting the previous elected leadership which was backed by the West. The interim Cabinet consists of high-profile members of the insurgent group. Citing a Taliban spokesman, TOLO news reported that the new government will be led by the insurgent group's chief Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. The spokesman did not disclose Mullah Hibatullah's designation in the interim government or his role in the state affairs.

Int'l flights to start at Kabul in 3 days

A media report citing Taliban officials and technical teams said on Thursday that the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul will be ready for international flight services in the next three days. The technical teams from Qatar and Turkey are working alongside Afghan engineers at the airport.

US, Pak army chief, ISI head hold meet

America's Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns on Thursday met Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI head Lt Gen Faiz Hamid during which they discussed issues related to regional security and current situation in Afghanistan, the military said. The meeting was held after the Taliban unveiled a hardline interim government with at least 14 members of the Cabinet, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, being listed on the UN Security Council's terrorism blacklist.

Afghan women barred from playing sports

With the announcement of the newly elected cabinet of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA) in the non-time bound interim government setup under the Taliban, statements and orders have started to come out from various ministries, which are putting the issue of acceptance and legitimacy of the group's rule in the country, under serious scrutiny. One of the decisions taken by the IEA's cultural commission, women have been barred from playing cricket or any other sport, in which their bodies could be seen.

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