Kabul | Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan civilians would no longer be allowed to leave the country as part of the ongoing process to expel the US. It also warned that Washington should withdraw all troops and contractors before the August 31 deadline. Mujahid’s remarks came on Tuesday when US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders that he aims to stick with his August 31 deadline of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan until the Taliban manages ongoing evacuation operations or the airport. Does not impede access.
Addressing a press conference here, the Mujahid said foreign nationals could continue to visit the airport, but the huge Afghan crowd that had gathered there in recent days should return home and not face retaliation from the country’s new rulers. Will have to
The Mujahid said the road leading to the airport is blocked. Afghans cannot take that road to the airport, but foreign nationals are allowed to take that road to the airport.
“We are no longer allowing Afghans to be evacuated and we are not even happy with that,” he said.
Mujahid said, doctors and academicians of Afghanistan should not leave this country, they should work in their specialist areas.
They should not go to those western countries and other countries, he said.
He also said that there would be no extension to the ongoing evacuation by the US.
“We want them (Washington) to evacuate their citizens, they have planes and they now have control of Kabul airport, America should withdraw all its soldiers, people or contractors before the deadline,” the spokesman said.
Regarding women’s rights widely concerned to study and work, Mujahid said the Taliban is working on a process so that women can work in the future.
He also urged female Afghan government employees to stay at home before the security situation in Afghanistan improves.
Mujahid said the Taliban did not want foreign embassies in Kabul to close or shut down, and assured them of security.
He said the Taliban is holding meetings with officials from various foreign embassies, including the US embassy, to maintain diplomatic relations.
When asked about the Taliban statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said it should not affect the Afghans whom the US had given priority to leave the country.
“Our expectation, which we have also conveyed to the Taliban, is that they should be able to reach the airport,” Saki said.
As the deadline approaches, US-led forces are expediting the evacuation of foreigners and Afghans from Afghanistan.
The US government said that about 50,000 foreigners and Afghans have left the country from Kabul airport during the past nine days.
Also on Tuesday, European Commission President Usuralah von der Leyen said G7 leaders agreed that it was their collective moral duty to help the Afghan people amid the current situation in the war-torn country following the Taliban takeover.
“We all agreed that it is our moral duty to help and support the Afghan people as much as we can,” von der Leyen told a news conference after a meeting of G-7 leaders.
