Tag: Suhail Shaheen

  • China is welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country: Taliban spokesman

    China is welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country: Taliban spokesman

    China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and is welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese state media.

    “China is a big country with a huge economy and capacity — I think they can play a very big role in the rebuilding, rehabilitation, reconstruction of Afghanistan,” Shaheen told CGTN television in an interview late on Thursday.

    During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s meeting with a Taliban delegation in Tianjin last month, the Chinese envoy said he hoped Afghanistan could adopt a moderate policy.

    Earlier, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, told a press briefing that China encourages and hopes that the Afghan Taliban can follow through its positive statements, unite with all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, establish a broad-based, inclusive political framework that fits the national conditions and wins public support through dialogue and consultation.

  • Afghan Taliban want China’s friendship, say will not interfere in Chinese affairs

    After seizing about one-third of Afghanistan’s districts, the Taliban this week swept through the northeastern Badakhshan province, reaching the mountainous border with China’s Xinjiang region, reports The Wall Street Journal.

    These days, the Taliban go out of their way to ease China’s concerns, eager to secure Beijing’s acquiescence to their rule.

    “The Taliban want to show China goodwill,” said Qian Feng, head of research at the National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University in Beijing. “They hope that China can play a more important role, especially after America pulls out its troops.”

    With the American military withdrawal nearly complete, China is also becoming increasingly powerful in the Central Asian states that border Afghanistan to the north.

    “We care about the oppression of Muslims, be it in Palestine, in Myanmar, or in China, and we care about the oppression of non-Muslims anywhere in the world. But what we are not going to do is interfere in China’s internal affairs,” said a senior Taliban official in Doha, Qatar.

    Another official, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, pointed out that the Islamist group pledged in the February 2020 Doha deal with Washington to not let the country’s territory be used against other nations and to not accept any refugees or exiles outside the framework of international migration law.

    “We will not allow anyone whether it is an individual or an entity — to use the soil of Afghanistan against the United States, its allies, or any other country, and that includes China,” Shaheen said.

    While caring about the plight of the Uyghurs of Xinjiang, the Taliban will seek to help their fellow Muslims through political dialogue with Beijing, he added. “We do not know the details. But if we have the details, we will show our concern,” he said. “If there are some problems with the Muslims, of course, we will talk with the Chinese government.”

  • ‘Pakistan cannot dictate to us’: Afghan Taliban spokesperson

    ‘Pakistan cannot dictate to us’: Afghan Taliban spokesperson

    The spokesperson for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan Suhail Shaheen, while talking on Geo News’ programme ‘Jirga’ said that Pakistan “cannot dictate to us or impose its views on us”.

    Shaheen gave these remarks to senior journalist Saleem Safi. He further added that Pakistan is welcome to help the Taliban arrive at a settlement in Afghanistan.

    In the context of reports that the Afghan Taliban are not willing to listen to Pakistan, the spokesperson said: “We want brotherly relations. They are neighbours, a Muslim country, and we have shared values — historical, religious and cultural.”

    “They can help us in the peace process but can’t dictate to us or impose their views. And this is against international principles,” he added.

    Speaking of the Taliban’s demand for an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Shaheen said that having an emirate is “a legitimate right of the people of Afghanistan”.

    “We say nothing about other governments. They should not impose their view,” he said, reiterating, “This is not in accordance with international principles either.”

    On whether the Taliban accept the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or consider them opponents after the TTP emir swore loyalty to Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada, Shaheen said: “I do not know of the TTP emir swearing allegiance [to our leader] but I will tell you the policy of the Islamic Emirate.”

    “We will not allow the use of Afghan soil, neither by an individual nor by any group. I have said this in many interviews and I think our position is clear and known to all.”