10 takeaways from Taliban’s first news conference

The Taliban held its first official news conference in Kabul yesterday since taking control of the country on 15 August (Sunday).

During the press meet at a media centre in Kabul that was previously used by the Afghan government, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid gave a general outline of where they stand while wishing for peaceful relations with other countries.

Here are the ten key points from the event:

'A proud moment'

Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who appeared in front of cameras for the first time, began the conference by congratulating the whole nation.

He said, "After 20 years of struggle for freedom and for emancipating the country from occupation, the Afghans have used their legitimate rights.

"This is a proud moment for the whole nation," he said.

'An evolutionary process'

For the Taliban, taking the power back was an evolutionary process.

 "Our country is an Islamic republic, whether it was 20 years ago or now. However, there is a huge difference between the experience, maturity and vision that we have today and what we had 20 years before," Mujahid said.

"Therefore, the actions are going to be different. This has been an evolutionary process."

"There is a difference in the actions we are going to take. This has been an evolutionary process."

'Not a battlefield anymore'

Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban wants to make sure that Afghanistan is not a land of conflict anymore.

He said, "We know that the country has been undergoing challenging periods and crises for a long time and a lot of mistakes were made that worked as an advantage for the occupiers.

"Now we want to make sure that Afghanistan is not the field of conflict or a battlefield anymore.

'Had to enter Kabul'

According to spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the initial plan was to remain at the gates of Kabul until the peaceful transition of power.

"We do not want to see chaos in Kabul," the Taliban spokesman says.

"But unfortunately, the previous government was so incompetent... their security forces could not do anything to ensure security. We had to do something.

"We had to enter Kabul to ensure the security of the residents," Mujahid says.

'Working to form a government'

The Taliban spokesman announced the formation of a new government.

"We are working seriously on forming a strong Islamic and inclusive government. It will be announced after completion."

He said, "After the government is formed, we are going to decide what laws will be presented to the nation.

"Meanwhile, we have all borders under our control," he added.

'Pardoned everybody… wants no enemies''

"We are not going to seek revenge on anybody, we don't hold any grudges against anybody," the spokesman said.

He further went on to claim that Taliban has pardoned everyone who had fought against them saying "We don't want to continue the conflicts anymore"… "Animosities have come to an end and we would like to live peacefully."

"We have pardoned everybody for the benefit of stability and peace in Afghanistan. Our fighters, our people, we are all going to make sure that we can include all other sides and factions."

"We don't want any external or internal enemies," Zabihullah Mujahid added.

'Nobody will be interrogated… don't want anyone to leave'

When asked about contractors and translators who have worked with foreign powers, Zabihullah Mujahid says: "Nobody is going to be treated with revenge."

"The youth, who have grown up here, we do not want them to leave. They are our assets."

"Nobody is going to knock on their door and ask them who they have been working for. They are safe. Nobody will be interrogated or chased," he added.

"There is full security across the country," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said when asked about reports of kidnappings and killings in Taliban-controlled areas.

However, he also acknowledged that there have been some rioters who, according to him, wanted to take advantage and abuse the situation.

He said, "The situation has been brought to our attention. We want to assure the residents of Kabul of full security, safety and the protection of their dignity.

Zabihullah Mujahid stressed the importance of ensuring security, especially in Kabul where all the embassies, missions, international organisations, aid agencies are located and said, "The security of the embassies is very crucial, of crucial importance for us".

'Afghanistan's soil won't be used against anybody'

Calling for an equal treatment from the international community, the Taliban spokesperson said, "We would also like to request the international community to recognise international boundaries and interactions."

He further added that Afghans have the right to have their own rules and regulations and policies that will work for the advantage of the nation, in the same way other countries get to enjoy different rules, policies, viewpoints, and approaches. 

"We have sacrificed a lot. Nobody should be worried about our norms and principles.

"Afghanistan's soil is not going to be used against anybody," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said when asked about the risk of the country housing al-Qaeda fighters.

"We can assure the international community of that."

'Women's rights according to Sharia'

In response to a question about women's rights, he said, "We are going to allow women to work and study within our frameworks.

"Women are going to be very active within our society, within our framework," he said.

"We are committed to the rights of women under the system of Sharia [Islamic law]," Mujahid added.

"They are going to be working shoulder to shoulder with us. We would like to assure the international community that there will be no discrimination."

'Private media can continue to be free'

The Taliban spokesman promised that private media in Afghanistan will continue under their rule.

"I would like to assure the media that we are committed to the media within our cultural frameworks," Mujahid said.