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IEA’s reclusive supreme leader addresses Ulema gathering in Kabul
The reclusive supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Haibatullah Akhundzada, hailed the IEA’s takeover of Afghanistan during a meeting in Kabul on Friday.
The meeting of religious leaders from around the country was called to forge national unity.
IEA spokesmen confirmed that Akhundzada, who is based in the southern city of Kandahar, had come to Kabul for the gathering of some 3,000 participants.
After receiving pledges of allegiance from participants raising their hands, Akhundzada praised the IEA’s victory last August.
“The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for Afghans but also for Muslims all over the world,” he said.
In his speech he said justice needs to prevail, that oppression needs to be prevented and corruption in government must be stamped out.
He also discussed the need for the implementation of divine law, especially in respect of retribution. He said this decree of Allah has not yet been implemented and once it is, it will spark reaction.
He also told participants that the people should not wait for foreign aid to rebuild the country. He called on Afghans living abroad to return home and invest in the future of their country.
Akhundzada did not mention the reopening of girls’ schools.
On Afghanistan’s foreign policy, he said it was an independent country and that he did not want to negotiate with any country on Islamic issues.
He called on the world not to interfere in Afghanistan’s domestic issues and said Afghanistan is no longer in the hands of foreigners.
Akhundzada stated that while the enemy was defeated on the battlefield, the IEA must not allow discord within its ranks especially as the enemy is trying to conduct propaganda campaigns.
“Thank God, we are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us their orders, it is our system and we have our own decisions,” he said.
“We have a relationship of devotion to one God, we cannot accept the orders of others who God does not like,” he said.
He reassured neighboring countries that the IEA harbors no ill will towards them.
In conclusion he called on political figures abroad to return home and to stop waging an anti-IEA campaign.
The Kabul gathering began on Thursday under tight security.
Deputy Taliban chief and acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani also addressed the meeting on Friday, saying the world was demanding inclusive government and education, and the issues needed time.
“This gathering is about trust, interaction, we are here to make our future according to Islam and to national interests,” he said.
IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that they would respect the decisions of those at the meeting but the final say on girls’ education was up to the supreme leader.
Roza Otunbayeva, Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), recently visited the city of Maimana in northern Afghanistan, where she met with local officials, entrepreneurs, and UN staff.
UNAMA wrote on its Facebook page on Sunday, that during the visit, entrepreneurs — including women — met with Otunbayeva, and requested support to facilitate access to new markets, particularly in Uzbekistan.
UNAMA further stated that among these entrepreneurs was a group of women who, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had established a tailoring workshop.
They expressed their appreciation for the support received and spoke about the significant growth and development of their business.
UNAMA added that the organization remains committed to promoting economic opportunities and empowering Afghan communities, especially women.
Anand Prakash, head of the Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan Division of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, met with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul for talks on various issues.
According to a press release issued Sunday by the Afghan Foreign Ministry, bilateral political relations, trade, transit and recent political developments in the region were discussed in the meeting.
Muttaqi stressed the need for the expansion of diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries and explained that Afghanistan currently offers favorable opportunities for investment. He said Indian investors should take advantage of these opportunities.
He also said that facilities should be created for the movement of people between Afghanistan and India and the issuance of visas for medical purposes, students and businessmen should return to normal.
Meanwhile, Prakash said that relations with Afghanistan are important for India and he hopes that these relations will expand further in various fields.
He stressed that India will continue its cooperation with Afghanistan and wants to invest in some infrastructure projects and restart projects that were paused for some time.
The two sides also emphasized the expansion of relations, the exchange of delegations, visa facilitation and bilateral cooperation.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said in a phone call with his Uzbek counterpart that Afghanistan is fully prepared for the implementation of the Trans-Afghan railway project.
During the call, the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as expanding political, economic and transit cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul said in a statement on Sunday.
Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov noted that Afghanistan’s exports to Uzbekistan have tripled in the first four months of 2025 compared to last year. He vowed to create more facilities in the field of trade and transit between the two countries, especially in issuing visas to Afghan citizens.
Meanwhile, Amir Khan Muttaqi said that Afghanistan is fully prepared for the implementation of major economic projects such as the Trans-Afghan railway project and for the strengthening of political, trade and transit cooperation with Uzbekistan. He said that the existing opportunities should be utilized for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
The two sides also discussed the holding of a trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan at the level of foreign ministers and agreed to coordinate through diplomatic channels to determine the exact date and place of the meeting.
The three neighboring countries signed an agreement in February 2021 to construct a 573-kilometer railway line through Afghanistan, connecting landlocked Central Asia to Pakistan seaports, with an estimated cost of $4.8 billion to enhance regional economic connectivity.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Uzbek foreign minister last Thursday to discuss the Trans-Afghan railway project.
Dar expressed hope that the three countries would soon sign a framework agreement on this important regional project.
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