A Taliban spokesperson has lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan, describing him as a ‘puppet’ who was ‘not elected by the people of Pakistan.’ The spokesman, in an interview, urged Pakistan not to interfere in Afghanistan.
Earlier, in an interview on Wednesday, PM Khan had said that Afghanistan cannot sustain with a ‘puppet government’ and the Taliban can only be ‘incentivised’ to work in the ‘right direction.’
Responding to Khan, the Taliban spokesman in his interview said, “You are talking about Imran Khan, that he wants an inclusive government in Afghanistan? Pakistan is itself in deep trouble and facing many difficulties. Imran Khan himself has not been elected, he has not become prime minister with the consent of the Pakistani nation.”
Imran Khan is also called 'selected' and a 'puppet'. We don't want anyone to interfere in our affairs, just like we don't in other countries' affairs, a Talib on TV pic.twitter.com/4M1l3vgdPV
— Naya Daur Media (@nayadaurpk) September 24, 2021
The Taliban spokesman continued, “The elections which are held in Tajikistan, we all know about them. If Tajik people want a government of their choice in Afghanistan, let me ask them, what kind of elections are held in your country? The same Imam Ali Rahmanov always wins elections. From the time I was a kid to now when I have become an adult, he has not been replaced in these so-called elections.”
The spokesman said, “In Pakistan, the people are saying that the current government is the puppet of Pakistan Army. The overall fundamental rights of major and minor ethnicities of Pakistan are not being given. All ethnicities of Pakistan are not happy with the current government. That’s why they call it a puppet government of the army.”
“And to a large extent, they are right, this is a reality. But still, as an Afghan, I have no right to call Imran Khan a puppet,” he said. “Or that I start interfering in their government affairs or start saying that I don’t like this Pakistani government. The same we want from others, to stop saying that they don’t like this Afghan government and want an inclusive government.”
The spokesman then questioned what the international communities mean when they emphasized on inclusivity in the new set up in Afghanistan. “What do they mean by an inclusive government? To install their own puppets and spies in Afghanistan? We cannot call such a government an inclusive one. The current Afghan government is inclusive, whether someone likes it or not. We have freedom from USA. We deserve to have the kind of government which we think is good for us, in the same way the people of Pakistan deserve the right to have a government of their choice, no matter if the government is based on British laws, or laws made by Lord Maccauly, or any law whatsoever that Pakistani people want.”
The spokesman said, “No one should say anything about our system of government, that it is the mullah’s government or an extremist government or a government of people wearing turbans.”
The spokesman said the Taliban “don’t accept any foreign interference” in their system of government. “Everyone should focus on their own country, and should work for the solution of the problems their people are facing. There are so many problems in Pakistan but we have never talked about them and neither have given any suggestions to Pakistan for these problems, because we respect their sovereignty. We want the same sovereignty and respect from Pakistan.”
The spokesman also made a veiled threat in the interview. “Those who respect us and don’t want the Afghan soil to be used against them, it will not be used against them. Those who want to interfere on our soil, then we also have a right to interfere in theirs,” he said.
“There are a lot of governance systems in the world. For example, I don’t like the US government and Joe Biden, so should I ask to change the government in USA and demand some sportsman or any wrestler to become US president? Or should I wish that one of our puppets should become the US president?”
Wow. Strong words from elected Talib.