We've right to speak for Muslims anywhere, including Kashmir: Taliban
What's the story
Amid concerns in India that Afghan soil under the Taliban regime can be used for terrorist activities against it, the insurgent group has said it has the right to speak out in favor of Muslims anywhere, including in Kashmir, though it does not have a policy of conducting "armed operations" against any country. Here's more.
Law
Muslims are entitled to equal rights: Taliban spokesman
Suhail Shaheen, Taliban spokesman for its political office in Doha, in an exclusive interview on Thursday, said, "We will raise our voice and say that Muslims are your own people, your own citizens and they are entitled to equal rights under your law." As Muslims, it was the group's right to speak out for Muslims living in Kashmir and any other country, Shaheen said
Armed operations
'We've no policy of conducting armed operations against any country'
While recalling the terms of the Doha agreement with the US, he said they had "no policy of conducting armed operations against any country." Shaheen's remarks came days after the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said Indian envoy to Qatar Deepak Mittal met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban's Political Office in Doha, at the request of the group.
Focus
Afghan soil should not be used for terrorist activities: Mittal
In the meeting, Mittal conveyed to Stanekzai that Afghanistan's soil shouldn't be used for anti-Indian activities/terrorism. MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly briefing on Thursday that India's immediate focus in Afghanistan is to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorist activities against it and it was still "very early days" to talk about any possible recognition to the Taliban.
Information
Haqqani are the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: Shaheen
Regarding the Haqqani Network, Shaheen said that the propaganda against the Haqqanis was based on mere claims. He said Haqqani is not a group but they are part of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They are the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, he added.