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Although the Taliban say they will not monopolize power, they insist that a peace deal will not be reached until a new government is negotiated.
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, who is also a member of the negotiating team, promised that under the new government, women would be allowed to work, attend school and participate in politics. These are rights that were denied when the Taliban imposed harsh Islamic laws the last time the group ruled Afghanistan.
Shaheen said women would still be required to wear the hijab, but they would not need to be accompanied by male relatives to leave their homes.
However, there are reports from captured districts and border crossings that the Taliban continue to impose oppressive restrictions on women.
The repeated reports, paired with the Taliban’s history of violence, have fueled fears of the group’s return. Those who were able to apply for visas to leave Afghanistan tried to escape quickly before the US-NATO troop withdrawal was completed on August 31.
Also read: Taliban massacre more than 100 Afghans on Pakistan border
Amid political uncertainty in Afghanistan, Shaheen stated that the Taliban will govern differently this time.
“I want to make it clear that we don’t believe in monopoly power because any government that (attempted) to monopolize power in Afghanistan in the past has not been a successful government,” Shaheen told the Associated Press. Newsweek, Saturday (24/7/2021).
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