KABUL — The Taliban said they want “good relations” with the rest of the world and will not allow Afghanistan to be a base for attacks.
Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday: “We want good relations, we want a good economy, we want good trading, we want good diplomacy, but in return we want our values to be respected.
He also said the militant group will not tolerate any threat to its “principles” and “independence” and that if anyone “threatens our country’s independence or attacks us, without doubt we will react.”
Meanwhile, Amnesty says Taliban, amid this scenario, killed nine minority men. The human rights NGO said on Friday that the Taliban were responsible for the torture and killing of several members of Afghanistan’s Hazara ethnic minority last month.
It said its researchers spoke to eyewitnesses in Ghazni province who recounted how the Taliban shot six of the men and tortured the three others to death in the village of Mundarakht on July 4-6.
“The cold-blooded brutality of these killings is a reminder of the Taliban’s past record, and a horrifying indicator of what Taliban rule may bring,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary-general said in a statement.
“These targeted killings are proof that ethnic and religious minorities remain at particular risk under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
“We urge the UN Security Council to adopt an emergency resolution demanding that the Taliban respect international human rights law, and ensure the safety of all Afghans regardless of their ethnic background or religious beliefs,” she added.(Saudi Gazette)
