After capturing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has made it clear that they will promote separatist activities in Kashmir. Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen on Thursday said that the Taliban have the right to speak out in favour of the Muslims in Kashmir.
In a video interview from the Taliban’s political office in Doha in Qatar through Zoom with BBC Urdu, Suhail Shaheen said that being Muslims, they have the right to raise their voice for Muslims in India, and any other country.
He said that just like the minorities like Hindus and Sikhs have the right to practice their religion in Afghanistan, Muslims also should have equal rights in other countries. Therefore, if Muslims are discriminated against in other countries, the Taliban will raise its voice for such Muslims. “We will raise our voice and say that Muslims are your own people, your own citizens. They are entitled to equal rights under your laws,” he said.
However, the Taliban spokesperson added that the group will not conduct military operations against other countries, as they do not have a policy of raising arms against any country. He said that according to the Doha agreement signed with the United States, the Taliban will not allow any group or entity to launch attack against any country from Afghanistan.
Suhail Shaheen also said that there is no separate group named Haqqani network, as they are part of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This comment comes just days after the US State Department had said that the Taliban and Haqqani Network are separate entities. It is notable that Haqqani network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani is the deputy chief of the Taliban. The network has been given the responsibility of security of Kabul city by the Taliban.
Muhammad Suhail Shaheen is a member of the negotiations team of the Taliban, and the official spokesman for international media for the Islamic Emirates. He was the editor of the English language state=owned Kabul Times during the previous Taliban regime, and later was appointed as the deputy ambassador to the Afghan Embassy in Pakistan.
