Taliban Share Stand On Kashmir Ahead Of Govt Formation, Say Will Raise Voice For Muslims In The Valley

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban, as Muslims, have the right to raise their voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India or any other nation.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: In what may irk India, a Taliban spokesman has said the group reserves the right to speak out in support of Muslims in Kashmir.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban, as Muslims, have the right to raise their voice for Muslims in Kashmir, India or any other nation.

READ: Govt Formation Hoardings Come Up As Taliban All Set To Rule Afghanistan, Mullah Baradar To Lead

“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,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen was quoted as saying by BBC Urdu in a report published online on Thursday.

Shaheen’s remarks are, however, completely contrary to the stance taken by Haqqani Network leader Anas Haqqani.

“We have a clear policy that when something is not an issue for our country, we cannot interfere in another country,” Haqqani, a member of the Taliban’s 14-member negotiating team, had said in an interview aired by News18 channel earlier on Wednesday.

Haqqani had said that the Taliban have a policy of not interfering in the internal matters of other nation.

“Our desire is that we don’t negatively interfere in internal problems. Our doors are open to the whole world for political relations and humanitarian aid, we want good relations with all countries,” Haqqani said in the interview.

Contending that the Indian government had supported the Taliban’s opponents in Afghanistan for 20 years, he added: “But we don’t want to remember the past and we want good relations with all countries, including India.”

Earlier on Tuesday, India’s envoy to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, had met Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s political office, at the Indian embassy in Doha following a request from the Taliban side.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India used the meeting in Doha to convey its concerns over the possible use of the Afghan territory for anti-India activities and to bring back the remaining Indians from Afghanistan.